Cessna 172G accident near Anacortes, Washington, March 27, 2010
On March 27, 2010 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172G, registered N5880R, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Anacortes, Washington (Anacortes Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2010 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Anacortes, Washington · Anacortes Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172G · all 172Gs on the register
- Registration
- N5880R · no longer on the register · serial 17253549
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during his preflight inspection he checked the fuel level with a dipstick and visually confirmed that there was a little less than 1/4 tank of fuel in the left side, and a little more than 1/4 in the right. The pilot then flew around the local area for about 40 minutes and was on his way back to the airport when the engine lost power. The local sheriff reported that when he arrived on scene, the airplane was on the ground inverted and appeared to have contacted some power lines prior to impacting the terrain. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the fuel system and found no evidence of fuel on board the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 557 hours in all; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 504 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 4, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,334 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 22, 2009; 59 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K74S Anacortes WA at 8:45 pm
- Destination: K74S Anacortes WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from KBVS, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.