# NTSB SEA02LA154: Cessna 182, N6420A, Bellingham, WA, August 12, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 12, 2002, 13:15 local (20:15 UTC) - Place: Bellingham, WA - Coordinates: 48.756668, -122.531669 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.7567&lon=-122.5317&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 3 minor - Status: Completed, report April 8, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Seattle FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 55474 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA02LA154 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55474/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA02LA154 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper decision to continue en route in cruise flight when his fuel supply became low, eventually leading to fuel exhaustion while on final approach to the destination airport. Factors include the fact that the final approach course took the aircraft over an open body of water. ## Analysis The pilot attempted a non-stop flight from Chester, California to Bellingham, Washington. Near the end of the four and one-half hour flight, the aircraft's fuel gauges indicated the fuel supply was nearly depleted, but the pilot thought he would have enough fuel to complete his descent to a landing. Although he was granted a straight-in approach, when the aircraft was approximately four miles from the end of the runway, the engine lost power, and he was forced to ditch in the bay that was underneath the final approach course. A post-accident inspection of the aircraft revealed that, except for a small residual amount, both fuel tanks had been run dry. ## Factual narrative On August 12, 2002, approximately 1315 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182 airplane, N6420A, was ditched in Bellingham Bay approximately 3 nautical miles south of Bellingham International Airport (BLI), Bellingham, Washington, while on a VFR final approach to a full-stop landing. Following the ditching, all three aircraft occupants, consisting of the commercial pilot-in-command and two passengers, escaped the aircraft and were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. The pilot and one passenger received minor injuries, the other passenger was uninjured, and the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions were reported at Bellingham at 1253 and 1353, and no flight plan had been filed for the 14 CFR 91 personal flight that departed Rogers Field (O05), Chester, California, four hours and 30 minutes earlier. According to radio transmissions recorded by the FAA, the pilot called the Bellingham airport control tower for landing when he was about 20 miles south of Bellingham, and was given a straight-in approach to runway 34 and instructed to report a 4-mile final. As instructed, the pilot reported when he was on a 4-mile final, and was cleared to land by the tower. Seconds after being cleared to land, the pilot reported that the aircraft was "out of gas", and that it was going into the water. According to the pilot, as he approached the Bellingham area, both fuel gauges were indicating that the fuel supply was nearly exhausted, but he thought he would have enough fuel remaining to successfully complete his descent to a landing. A post-accident inspection of the aircraft revealed that except for a small amount of residual fuel, both wing fuel tanks were essentially empty. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, approach - in-flight planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - Ditching, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - water (contributing factor) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6420A](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6420A), registered now, S/N 33220, built 1956 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 182 - Registry model: [Cessna 182](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182) (registry code 2072702) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 33220 - Airframe hours: 3807 - Engines: Continental O-470-L 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Johannes C. Rasmussen - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 4, 2001, 65 hours before - Departed: O05, Chester, CA - Destination: BLI, Bellingham, WA - Airport: BLI, Bellingham International ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 68; injuries: minor; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review September 29, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 1,661 total, 1,298 in this make and model, 1,515 as pilot in command, 45 in the last 90 days, 24 in the last 30 days, 8 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 55 °F - Altimeter: 30.13 inHg - Observed at: BLI ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020812023359A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020812023359A), Aug 12, 2002: Cessna 182, Bellingham, WA, Substantial damage. (-23) Cessna 182 N6420A, piloted by Mr. Johannes c. rasmussen, ditched in Bellingham bay approximately 2 nautical miles south of the Bellingham International… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.