Cessna 182 accident near Eastsound, Washington, February 1, 2011
On February 1, 2011 at about 6:55 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N2718R, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Eastsound, Washington (Orcas Island airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to properly secure the airplane prior to rotating the propeller by hand, resulting in inadvertent movement of the airplane and collision with a building.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 2011 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- Eastsound, Washington · Orcas Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 K · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N2718R · no longer on the register · serial 18258218
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot pulled the airplane out of the unheated hangar on a chilly morning and used the propeller to rotate the engine several times. He set the parking brake, and started the airplane with the starter, but then the engine stopped. The battery did not have sufficient charge to start the engine, so he decided to hand-prop the engine. He primed it, left the parking brake on, set the throttle to idle, turned the master switch and magneto switches on, and spun the propeller. The engine started but did not remain running. He started it again by hand propping. He advanced the throttle to keep it running, but again it did not remain running. He applied carburetor heat, but did not reduce the throttle setting. He hand-propped the engine once again and it went to a high rpm setting, and then the airplane began moving forward. The pilot reached in to try to retard the throttle, but was unsuccessful. He fell and hit his face on the landing gear footstep, which fractured his right cheekbone and caused deep lacerations above his right eye. The airplane continued to move until it collided with a hangar, with both wings sustaining substantial damage.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground handling event during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Parking/securing › Tie › down/mooring › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,738 hours in all; 866 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 2,555 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 21, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,142 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 2010; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Blinn Family Trust
The flight
- Departed from: ORS Eastsound WA at 6:55 pm
- Destination: ORS Eastsound WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 2,900 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.61 inHg
- Observation at 7:10 pm from KORS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.