# NTSB WPR25LA307: Cessna 172, N6831A, Anacortes, WA, September 22, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: September 22, 2025, 11:57 local (18:57 UTC)
- Place: Anacortes, WA · in water near 74S
- Coordinates: 48.5126, -122.649
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.5126&lon=-122.6490&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 201827
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR25LA307
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/201827/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA307

## Preliminary report

On September 22, 2025, about 1157 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6831A, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Anacortes, Washington. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he intended to fly the airplane from Anacortes Airport (74S), Anacortes, Washington, to Friday Harbor Airport (FHR), Friday Harbor, Washington. The engine run up was normal, and the pilot departed runway 36. As the airplane was about 400 ft mean sea level (msl), as it crossed the shoreline, the engine began to sputter and subsequently lost all power. The pilot lowered the airplane’s nose to maintain its best glide airspeed and saw that a parking lot west of his position was full of vehicles, and he began a right turn. He stated that he was unable to complete a 180° turn to return to the runway and flew over the water as he attempted to restart the engine. The pilot verified that the fuel selector was positioned on both, the mixture was rich, cycled the throttle and carburetor heat control knobs, and tried both left and right magentos; all with no response from the engine. Subsequently, the pilot initiated a water ditching near the mouth of the Guemes Channel, about 1.5 miles northeast of 74S. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to both wings. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N6831A](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6831A), registered now, S/N 28931 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172
- Registry model: [Cessna 172](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172) (registry code 2072402) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental 0-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (registry code 17022, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 28931
- Year built: 1956
- Airframe hours: 3068.7
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, June 17, 2025, 20 hours before
- Destination: FHR, Friday Harbor, WA
- Airport: 74S, Anacortes Airport, runway 36, 3,018 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: ADS-B

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observed at: KBVS, 10 nm away
- METAR: METAR KBVS 221855Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 18/11 A3021

## 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 20250922019419A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250922019419A), Sep 22, 2025: Cessna 172, Anacortes, WA, Substantial damage. On Monday, September 22nd, PIC was planning to fly from Anacortes Airport (74S) to Friday harbor airport (kfhr) in his 1956 Cessna 172, N6831A. PIC took off on…

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.

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