SEA91LA165

Factual narrative

THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA 172 CONTACTED THE TOWER APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MINUTES PRIOR TO THE CRASH, AND INDICATED THAT HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH AILERON CONTROL, AND WOULD BE RETURNING TO THE FIELD TO ATTEMPT A LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A GRASSY AREA NEAR THE RUNWAY, AND THEN BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR ABOUT FIVE TIMES BEFORE THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND. BOTH THE LOCAL POLICE AND THE FAA INVESTIGATED THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE CRASH OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS INTENTIONAL. AS A RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT, THE PILOT, WHO WAS UNDER PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURE AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT, WAS LATER INDICTED BY THE GRAND JURY FOR MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY. PRIOR TO THE INDICTMENT, THE FAA ISSUED AN EMERGENCY REVOCATION OF THE PILOT'S LICENSE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12