Cessna A185F accident near Lynwood, Washington, December 3, 2000
On December 3, 2000 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N7609Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lynwood, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion due to refueling was not performed by the pilot-in-command. Trees and a fence were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 2000 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lynwood, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7609Q · registry record · serial 18503626
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that prior to departure to refuel the airplane at another nearby airport, he estimated about seven gallons of fuel in each fuel tank. About seven miles from his destination, the engine sputtered and eventually quit. A forced landing was made in a high school football field. During the landing roll, the aircraft collided with a chain link fence and trees surrounding the field. Approximately three gallons of fuel was drained from both wings.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,320 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,820 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,820 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 16, 2000; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,267 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-DGSB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BFI Seattle WA at 8:45 pm
- Destination: PAE Everett WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PAE, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA01LA025.