What happened
On September 22, 2025, at approximately 11:57 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172, registration N6831A, was involved in an accident near Anacortes, Washington. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use.
The pilot departed from Anacortes Airport (74S) using runway 36, intending to fly to Friday Harbor Airport (FHR). Following a normal engine run-up, the aircraft climbed to approximately 400 feet mean sea level. As the aircraft crossed the shoreline, the engine began to sputter and lost all power.
In an attempt to maintain best glide airspeed, the pilot lowered the nose and observed a crowded parking lot to the west. The pilot initiated a right turn but was unable to complete a 180-degree turn to return to the runway. While attempting to restart the engine over the water, the pilot performed several checks, including verifying the fuel selector was on both, ensuring the mixture was rich, cycling the throttle and carburetor heat, and testing both magnetos, but the engine failed to respond. The pilot then performed a water ditching near the mouth of the Guames Channel, approximately 1.5 miles northeast of Anacortes Airport.
The pilot was not injured, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage to both wings.