Accident Overview
On July 30, 2023, about 10:01 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 195 airplane, N195JL, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Ravensdale, Washington. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Flight Details
The pilot reported that he and his wife departed Cavanaugh Bay Airport (66S) in Coolin, Idaho, at 0803 en route to Norman Grier Field Airport (S36) in Kent, Washington. Each of the fuel tanks was reading slightly less than 30 gallons, for a total of about 57 to 60 gallons. He calculated the flight to be about 2 hours and recalled that the wind was about 15 to 20 knots from the west. ADS-B data revealed that the airplane departed 66S around 0807.
Fuel Management
About an hour into the flight, the pilot noticed 17-18 gallons in the left tank and about 10 to 12 in the right tank. He reported never having seen this imbalance before. His wife commented that she could smell raw fuel, and he mentioned a hint of fuel. He switched the fuel selector from BOTH to LEFT until the tanks were level with around 12 gallons per side, then switched back to BOTH. He calculated about 1 hour 20 minutes of fuel remaining with about 45 minutes until arrival. At 15 minutes from the destination, the right tank indicator read 5 gallons and the left read 7 to 10 gallons. According to the pilot, the engine burned about 18 gallons per hour when leaned out and about 21 gallons per hour when not leaned out; he had leaned for about 1.75 hours of the flight. Calculations suggested 2.5 to 3.1 hours of fuel duration with 52 to 55 gallons of usable fuel.
Engine Power Loss and Forced Landing
After about ten more minutes, the engine started to sputter and then lose power. The pilot switched to the left tank; the engine regained power for about a minute then went to idle. He switched the fuel tank selector to BOTH and performed a forced landing to a clearing, but collided with a 3-foot metal post and a 15 ft by 15 ft structure. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. Prior to exiting, the pilot shut down the engine, which had continued running at about 600 rpm. The last ADS-B data point recorded the airplane about 4,472 ft east of the accident site at 1000.
Postaccident Findings
The airplane came to rest leaning on the left wing in a commercial facility. All major components remained secured to the fuselage. During recovery, about 5 gallons from the left tank and about 3.5 gallons from the right tank were drained. Postaccident examination revealed the left wing exhibited evidence of fuel exiting the filler port, with dirt and staining on the polished aluminum. The pilot reported blue fuel stains under the carburetor bowl and on the cowling underneath. No other mechanical malfunctions of the airframe were observed. A test run of the engine showed no anomalies, with normal operation up to 2,200 rpm and no observed fuel leakage. The FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet for the Cessna 195 states fuel capacity of 81 gallons (two 40.5-gallon tanks) with 38 gallons usable per tank. A review of the fuel system revealed that the two tanks gravity feed individually to the fuel selector valve, with no fuel lines allowing migration between tanks.