20020531013879A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172M · Anacortes, WA · May 31, 2002

Date: May 31, 2002 · 11:35 local
Place: Anacortes, WA
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N496HM
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA02LA093
Reported as: Cessna 172M

N496HMRegistered now · Cessna 172MS/N 17267496 · Built 1976 Airframe modelCessna 172M Engine modelLycoming 0-360-A1DReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) According to the pilot, both aircraft fuel tanks were full the day prior to accident, and was flown for approximately an hour and 40 minutes. On the day of the accident, the plane was flown from Anacortes to omak, Washington, on a pleasure flight, with stops in between. While on final approach to Anacortes airport, the aircraft engine quit, and the pilot attempted the forced landing on the shoreline northwest of the airport. The aircraft landed in the water close to the beach, encountered soft, sandy terrain, and flipped. It was determined that approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes had elapsed since the aircraft had last been refueled.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, BOTH AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS WERE FULL THE DAY PRIOR TO ACCIDENT, AND WAS FLOWN FOR APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR AND 40 MINUTES. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PLANE WAS FLOWN FROM ANACORTES TO OMAK, WASHINGTON, ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT, WITH STOPS IN BETWEEN. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO ANACORTES AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE QUIT, AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED THE FORCED LANDING ON THE SHORELINE NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN THE WATER CLOSE TO THE BEACH, ENCOUNTERED SOFT, SANDY TERRAIN, AND FLIPPED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES HAD ELAPSED SINCE THE AIRCRAFT HAD LAST BEEN REFUELED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA02LA093Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAnacortes, WAThe pilot's improper decision to continue his flight after failing to take on fuel at a planned en route refueling stop, which lead to a loss of power from fuel exhaustion while on final approach to his round-robin final destination. Factors include…May 31, 2002 · Substantial damage