Cessna 172M accident near Anacortes, Washington, May 31, 2002
On May 31, 2002 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N496HM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anacortes, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The 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 inaccurate fuel quantity gauges, no suitable terrain on which to execute the forced landing, and soft terrain where the pilot ultimately decided to put the aircraft down.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2002 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Anacortes, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N496HM · registry record · serial 17267496
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After reaching his initial destination on a round-robin cross-country flight, the pilot discovered that the runway was closed for repair, so he flew back along his outbound route looking for a place to refuel. He landed at an agricultural airstrip, but determined that there was no fuel available there. After departing the agricultural airstrip, he decided to land at a municipal airport in a nearby town, but was unable to locate the runway. He then made the decision to return to his initial departure point without stopping to take on fuel. While on final approach to the initial departure point, the aircraft ran out of fuel, and the pilot was forced to land on a nearby gravel beach. Although the touchdown was uneventful, during the landing roll, the aircraft nosed over on the soft terrain. According to the pilot, he did not keep an accurate tally of his fuel burn and total time airborne, and in considering his fuel situation while en route, he forgot to take into account a one hour and 40 minute flight on the previous day. It was also determined that the fuel quantity gauges did not accurately reflect the total amount of fuel onboard the aircraft while airborne.
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
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 31, 2001; 150 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Undetermined WA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 74S Anacortes WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.