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SEA85FA190

1985-08-07 · VANCOUVER, Washington, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

N824CB has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (PIPER PA-31T1, built 1981), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

PLT WAS OBSERVED WORKING ON ENGINE DISTRIBUTOR PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FOR WEEKEND DEMO AT AIRSHOW FOR DESIGN SALES PROMOTION. WITNESSES NOTED ENGINE SOUND ON TAKEOFF SEEMED LESS THAN NORMAL. ACFT LIFTED OFF, GEAR WERE RETRACTED AND ACFT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 200 FT AGL BEFORE A LEFT TURN BEGAN. AFTER 90 DEG OF TURN, BANK STEEPENED TO NEAR 60 DEG, NOSE DROPPED THROUGH AND ACFT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN. FIRE BROKE OUT ON IMPACT, CONSUMING FUSELAGE. INVESTIGATION SHOWED DISTRUBUTOR CAP AND ROTOR SHATTERED ON GROUND IMPACT, NO DETERMINATION MADE OF POSS MALFUNCTION. EXCEPT FOR UNEVEN COLORATION OF SPARK PLUGS, NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED ON ENGINE INSPECTION. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_SEA85FA190.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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