Amateur-built BEARHAWK accident near Eatonville, Washington, February 27, 2021
On February 27, 2021 at about 11:15 pm local time, a 2003 amateur-built BEARHAWK, registered N347JP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Eatonville, Washington (Swanson airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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 directional control during landing, which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 2021 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Eatonville, Washington · Swanson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BEARHAWK, built 2003
- Registration
- N347JP · registry record · serial 347
- 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 during the landing in a tailwheel equipped airplane, it appeared to him that the wind was calm during the approach. Soon after landing, he reported hitting a bump in the runway along with a wind shear resulting in a loss of directional control. Despite the pilot’s control inputs, the airplane exited the runway to the right and ground looped in the runway safety area, coming to rest upright. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left-wing tip and left aileron were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Windshear › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,566 hours in all; 96 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 12,285 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 14, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 138 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 17, 2020; 112 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-540 SERIES (piston); 381 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 49WA Yelm WA at 10:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16/3, 2,990 ft by 36 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 15 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N347JP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.