Cessna 170A accident near Port Angeles, Washington, January 27, 2021
On January 27, 2021, a 1949 Cessna 170A, registered N9114A, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Port Angeles, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot's inadequate in-flight fuel planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 27, 2021
- Place
- Port Angeles, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A, built 1949 · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N9114A · registry record · serial 18873
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had departed on a long cross-country flight and stopped to refuel at which point he filled up both wing tanks and the pilot had modified the airplane with a tank in the fuselage. During the flight, the pilot sent text messages to a family member expressing concerns about having enough fuel to complete the flight. The pilot texted that the headwinds were stronger than he expected, he was encountering turbulence, and he was having to maneuver around clouds. Radar data showed that the airplane was over a 10 nautical mile wide body of water when the pilot made a mayday call stating that he was going into the water. The airplane ditched in the sea and was never recovered. The search and rescue efforts did not locate 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
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 120 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTN Ketchikan AK at 7:00 pm
- Destination: CLM Port Angeles WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.38 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KCLM, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCLM 270053Z AUTO 10013KT 10SM SCT085 BKN120 04/M04 A2938 RMK AO2 SLP953 T00441039
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on April 5, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Records of Conversation | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Supplemental Materials | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Search and Rescue Memorandum | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | In Reach radar Data (Complete) | spreadsheet | Download |
| 5 | radar Data Google Earth File | map file | Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.