History of Flight
On January 26, 2021, about 1640 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 170A airplane, registration N9114A, sustained substantial damage when it crashed near Port Angeles, Washington. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The pilot had departed Kodiak, Alaska, the previous day, with a final destination of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. On the day of the accident, the pilot refueled and departed from Ketchikan, Alaska, around 1000. During the flight, the pilot exchanged numerous text messages with his mother. At about 1525, he texted that he was facing severe headwinds and expressed concern about having sufficient fuel to complete the journey.
Approximately 15 minutes later, the pilot stated that his GPS indicated he had been airborne for 5.7 hours and estimated another 1.1 hours of flight time to his destination, projecting a landing time of 1647. He estimated that with a fuel burn between 6 and 10 gallons per hour, the airplane could reach Port Angeles, but headwinds were reducing airspeed and causing delays due to maneuvering around clouds. Around 1615, he reported that his estimated time of arrival was changing due to fluctuating winds, turbulence, and cloud avoidance.
Radar data showed the airplane tracking south, reaching the northern landmass edge at 1634. It continued south for about 5.4 nautical miles at an altitude of about 1,200 ft. At 1638:06, the track deviated, consistent with a reversal to a north-northeast direction. Subsequent data indicated decreasing airspeed and a gradual descent from 1,200 ft to 400 ft. The southernmost radar return was about 6 nm from land to the south and 4 nm from land to the north. The last return was 2.9 nm from the nearest land. At about 1637, the pilot sent a picture showing a marine vessel towing a barge below his location. He broadcast a mayday call on the Port Angeles UNICOM frequency at 1638:47, stating he was over water and ditching near a boat towing a barge.
Aircraft Information
The airplane's fuel system consisted of two wing tanks and a fuselage tank added by the pilot. The left and right main tanks each held 20 gallons, and the fuselage tank held between 10 and 15 gallons. The aircraft was not recovered and is presumed to be on the sea floor. According to the Flight Owner's Manual, with the engine operating at 2,100 rpm at 6,000 ft mean sea level, the total fuel burn for the entire flight duration would have been between 28.83 and 37.15 gallons, depending on the leaning procedure used.
Search and Rescue Efforts
The National Transportation Safety Board reviewed audio recordings from the US Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound Command Center. SPS was notified of the accident at 1635. A caller reported the aircraft near a tug and barge. Internal discussions identified tugs in the area and that the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir Wilfred Laurier was near Race Rocks. At 1642, SPS issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast, rebroadcast multiple times over 20 hours, requesting assistance for an airplane that had crashed north of Port Angeles in the Straits of Juan de Fuca.
Several vessels reported no sightings. SPS contacted all tugs and barges underway, including the eastbound Seapan King, none of which saw the airplane. At 1720, a USCG helicopter launched from Air Station Port Angeles, and 10 minutes later, SPS directed a search trackline from Pillar Point to Whidbey Island. At 1738, the Coast Guard received a latitude/longitude position from the Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration. This datum, corrected for drift, was used for multiple search patterns over the next 22 hours.
At 2006, the USCG helicopter pilot and a Canadian fixed-wing aircraft pilot discussed a GPS position placing the Cessna near Race Rocks, where a tug had been seen. Search patterns continued overnight and into the next morning. At 0937, the Coast Guard relayed a new radar-derived position. The active search was suspended at 1558 the following day.