Cessna 180 accident near Bellingham, Washington, February 24, 2007
On February 24, 2007 at about 5:00 am local time, a Cessna 180, registered N9115C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bellingham, Washington (Bellingham International airport). It was a ferry 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing factors were the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing, and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 2007 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Bellingham, Washington · Bellingham International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N9115C · no longer on the register · serial 31214
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power while on final approach to the destination airport. The pilot said all was normal until about 400 feet on final approach, when the engine lost power and he landed straight ahead into some trees.The fuselage and engine firewall were bent and wrinkled, and both of the wing leading edges received impact damage. A postaccident examination of the engine was not accomplished, nor was an engine test run attempted.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all
- Last flight review: May 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,380 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2006; 10 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ASI Sitka AK at 6:00 pm
- Destination: BLI Bellingham WA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 16
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from BLI
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.
Other NTSB records under N9115C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.