Cessna 172S accident near Monroe, Washington, July 5, 2013
On July 5, 2013 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1999 Cessna 172S, registered N686SP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Monroe, Washington (Firstair Field Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action that resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2013 · about 11:00 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Monroe, Washington · Firstair Field Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S, built 1999 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N686SP · registry record · serial 172S8097
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a practice landing, the student pilot lost directional control on the landing roll. The airplane drifted towards the right, and the flight instructor did not act in a timely manner to prevent the airplane's right wheel from departing the runway surface. The airplane subsequently nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 11,500 as pilot in command; 9,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 18, 2013
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 55 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,803 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, July 1, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAE Everett WA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: PAE Everett WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,087 ft by 34 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from PAE, 117 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on November 8, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N686SP on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,691 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,676 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 SER 8,561 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- First Air Field · nearest airport
- Seattle Paine Field International · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,713 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,664 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR13CA309.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.