Piper PA-28-140 accident near Burlington, Washington, June 4, 2013
On June 4, 2013 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1970 Piper PA-28-140, registered N5808U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Burlington, Washington (Skagit Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the rudder bar assembly during landing due to a fatigue crack. Contributing to the accident was the failure of maintenance personnel to perform an adequate inspection of the rudder bar assembly.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2013 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Burlington, Washington · Skagit Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140, built 1970 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N5808U · no longer on the register · serial 28-26637
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing roll, the airplane began to veer right, and the pilot applied left rudder and left braking action to align the airplane with the runway; however, both actions were ineffective. The airplane departed the right side of the runway and impacted an airport sign and a ditch. Postaccident examination of the left rudder bar assembly found that it had failed due to a fatigue crack. A rusted brown oxidized area near the center of the crack and surface features consistent with slow-growth fatigue indicated that the crack had been growing incrementally over a period of years. A review of the manufacturer's periodic inspection checklist, maintenance manual, and Service Letter No. 671 indicated that the rudder bar assembly should be inspected every 100 hours specifically for cracks in the area where the airplane's rudder bar failed. If maintenance personnel had inspected the airplane in accordance with these documents, the crack likely would have been found and the accident prevented.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Failure
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,023 hours in all; 3,883 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 4,023 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 20, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,479 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 25, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FHR Friday Harbor WA at 4:12 pm
- Destination: BVS Burlington WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 5,477 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from BVS
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.