Cessna 172 accident near Anacortes, Washington, September 22, 2025
On September 22, 2025 at about 6:57 pm local time, a 1956 Cessna 172, registered N6831A, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Anacortes, Washington (Anacortes 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 2025 · about 6:57 pm local time
- Place
- Anacortes, Washington · Anacortes Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172, built 1956 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6831A · registry record · serial 28931
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 22, 2025, about 1157 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6831A, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Anacortes, Washington. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he intended to fly the airplane from Anacortes Airport (74S), Anacortes, Washington, to Friday Harbor Airport (FHR), Friday Harbor, Washington. The engine run up was normal, and the pilot departed runway 36. As the airplane was about 400 ft mean sea level (msl), as it crossed the shoreline, the engine began to sputter and subsequently lost all power. The pilot lowered the airplane’s nose to maintain its best glide airspeed and saw that a parking lot west of his position was full of vehicles, and he began a right turn. He stated that he was unable to complete a 180° turn to return to the runway and flew over the water as he attempted to restart the engine. The pilot verified that the fuel selector was positioned on both, the mixture was rich, cycled the throttle and carburetor heat control knobs, and tried both left and right magentos; all with no response from the engine. Subsequently, the pilot initiated a water ditching near the mouth of the Guemes Channel, about 1.5 miles northeast of 74S. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to both wings. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.
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 takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,068.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 17, 2025; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Destination: FHR Friday Harbor WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,018 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KBVS, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KBVS 221855Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 18/11 A3021
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.