Cessna 172 - N accident near Trout Lake, Washington, June 28, 2013
On June 28, 2013 at about 4:50 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 172 - N, registered N75542, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Trout Lake, Washington (Trout Lake Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees during takeoff from a soft field and to abort the landing when the airplane reached the runway’s midpoint at a low airspeed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2013 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Trout Lake, Washington · Trout Lake Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 - N, built 1976 · all 172 - Ns on the register
- Registration
- N75542 · no longer on the register · serial 17267796
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the engine was developing full power during the attempted soft-field takeoff from the 1,800-foot grass airstrip in calm wind. About halfway down the runway, the airspeed indicator only read about 40 knots. When the airplane was about two-thirds of the way down the runway, the pilot realized that he was committed to take off because insufficient runway was remaining to stop the airplane. After reaching about 45 knots, the airplane's nosewheel lifted off the runway, but it only lifted about 4 feet off the ground. About the same time, the airplane's right wing impacted two 10-foot-tall trees and a barbed wire fence. The airplane subsequently cleared a drainage ditch, the main landing gear impacted a sprinkler pipe, and the airplane skidded on all three main landing gear before coming to rest in an upright position. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and empennage. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was within its weight and balance limits. The pilot reported that he had experience taking off and landing on short and soft fields and that, on the day before the accident, he had practiced short-field takeoffs and landings at another airport; however, he did not indicate if he had practiced soft-field takeoffs and landings at that time. The pilot should have aborted the takeoff when the airplane reached the runway's midpoint at an airspeed of only about 40 knots.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 261 hours in all; 196 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 180 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 17, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,342 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 2013; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 8,017 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 66WA Trout Lake WA at 4:50 pm
- Destination: 66WA Trout Lake WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 1,800 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 pm from DLS, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.