Cessna A185F accident near Seattle, Washington, August 5, 2005
On August 5, 2005 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N4867C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Seattle, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2005 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N4867C · registry record · serial 18502635
- 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 he had fueled the aircraft the day before with enough fuel for the two hour flight plus a one hour fuel reserve. The pilot reported that the en route portion of the flight was uneventful and a descent from 9,500 feet was initiated to 1,800 feet over the northeast side of Lake Washington, when the pilot had his first indication that something was wrong with the engine. The pilot stated that, "There were no sudden sounds; no choking or coughing of the engine. Rather it sounded as though someone had pulled the throttle all the way back - the normal sound (although I was at reduced power descending) just smoothly diminished to an idle sound over the course of about 1 second." The pilot made a turn to look for a landing spot and reported to air traffic that he was having problems. Not seeing a suitable landing spot, the pilot opted to head toward Sand Point, an area located along the west shoreline of the lake, in hopes to reach an open field. During the descent, the pilot switched the fuel selector from "both" to the left fuel tank and then to the right fuel tank. The engine did not start and the pilot focused his attention on the emergency landing. The aircraft was unable to reach Sand Point, therefore, the pilot maneuvered for a ditching parallel to the shoreline. The aircraft collided with the water, remaining upright. All three occupants were able to egress from the aircraft uninjured, before it sank. A nearby motorboat operator rescued the occupants within minutes of the accident. After the aircraft was recovered and the engine was dried out, the engine underwent an engine run. The engine started up the first time and ran at idle power for several minutes with no anomalies noted.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 442 hours in all; 164 in this make and model; 380 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,975 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2005; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 66S Coolin ID at 1:40 pm
- Destination: BFI Seattle WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from BFI, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.