Cessna 185A accident near Ilwaco, Washington, September 27, 2025
On September 27, 2025 at about 4:50 pm local time, a 1962 Cessna 185A, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N186X, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Ilwaco, Washington (Port Of Ilwaco airport). 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 visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 2025 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Ilwaco, Washington · Port Of Ilwaco · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185A, built 1962, amateur-built · all 185As on the register
- Registration
- N186X · registry record · serial 1850437
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that about 2 miles east of the destination airport the engine began to run rough. He elected to make a precautionary landing to an open field, while on approach to land, the engine lost all power. During the landing roll the airplane impacted a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed that the fuel tanks contained no usable fuel. The pilot stated that during his preflight inspection, he did not visually verify the fuel levels in the fuel tanks and relied on the fuel analyzer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach defining event
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 28,600 hours in all; 113.4 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 15,100 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 15, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 113.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-G1C5 (piston); 438 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1W1 Camas WA at 3:55 pm
- Destination: 7W1 Ilwaco WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 am from KAST, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KAST 271655Z AUTO 12003KT 10SM CLR 15/12 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP110 T01500122 $=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR25LA298.