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).
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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 October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2013 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Monroe, Washington · Firstair Field 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR13CA309.