Cessna A185F accident near Inglewood, Washington, January 30, 1993
On January 30, 1993 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N5391R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Inglewood, 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL EXHAUSTION, THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT, AND HIS FAILURE TO FLARE ON LANDING. A FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS FOG.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 1993 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Inglewood, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5391R · registry record · serial 18503033
- 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 DURING THE PREFLIGHT OF HIS FLOATPLANE HE VISUALLY CHECKED INSIDE THE FUEL TANKS AND ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD 12 TO 15 GALLONS OF FUEL. HE THEN DEPARTED WITH THE INTENTION OF FLYING TO A NEARBY SEAPLANE BASE APPROXIMATELY 12 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST WHERE HE PLANNED TO PURCHASE FUEL. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AND AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 300 TO 400 FEET AGL THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING TO THE LAKE SURFACE. DURING HIS DESCENT HE ENTERED AN AREA OF FOG AND DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY HE 'COULD NOT JUDGE WHEN TO FLARE' AND A HARD LANDING FOLLOWED. THE FUEL SYSTEM LINES WERE FOUND TO BE INTEGRAL WITHOUT BREACHES, AND AIRCRAFT RECOVERY PERSONAL REPORTED THAT SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, WHILE THE WINGS WERE BEING REMOVED, THEY FOUND NO FUEL IN EITHER FUEL BLADDER. SUBSEQUENT TO THE AIRCRAFT'S RECOVERY TO A NEARBY AIRPORT, TOTAL FUEL AMOUNTS OF 6 OUNCES, 1 OUNCE, AND LESS THAN ONE OUNCE WERE DRAINED RESPECTIVELY FROM THE LOW POINT FUEL FILTER, FUEL LINE LINKING THE BOOST PUMP TO THE ENGINE, AND FROM THE HEADER TANK LOW POINT DRAIN.
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 engineer, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 11,600 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 18, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: S60 Kenmore WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.