Event WPR18LA259

Factual narrative

On September 12, 2018, at 0810 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172 airplane, N24ME, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Roche Harbor, Washington. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. According to the pilot, just prior to takeoff, he adjusted his seat and “wiggled it” to ensure it was locked. During the takeoff roll, the seat moved all the way aft, and the pilot was not able to reach the throttle or the rudder pedals. The airplane veered to the left and lifted off the ground. Shortly after, the tail struck the ground, followed by the left wing, and the airplane came to rest on its nose. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector responded to the accident site. The FAA inspector observed the pilot’s seat in the farthest aft position with the stops engaged in the aft holes. He further reported that the seat moved freely in both directions, to each stop, with no binding encountered. Additionally, there was proper hole engagement with the seat pin and holes in the seat rail; the seat did not move once the stop was engaged with the hole. The pilot reported that he adjusted his seat and “wiggled it” prior to takeoff to ensure it was locked in place. However, during the takeoff roll, the seat moved all the way aft, and the pilot was not able to reach the throttle or the rudder pedals. The airplane veered to the left and lifted off the ground. Shortly after, the tail struck the ground, followed by the left wing, and the airplane came to rest on its nose. A postaccident examination of the seat rail and latching mechanism revealed no anomalies. There was proper hole engagement with the seat pin and holes in the seat rail; the seat did not move once the stop was engaged with the hole. Therefore, it is likely that although the pilot attempted to secure his seat before takeoff, the seat pin was likely not engaged in the corresponding hole in the seat rail, which resulted in its aft movement when the airplane gained speed during the takeoff roll. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incomplete action-Pilot
• — Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Misc hardware-Fasteners-Incorrect use/operation
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot