NTSB SEA88LA070 — 1988-03-27 · ARLINGTON, Washington, United States

Current FAA registration · N10442

Make / Model: CESSNA 305A
Year of manufacture: 1957 · 31 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19721107
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A0168F

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N10442 Cessna 305-A None

Factual narrative

SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL, A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE ONTO A TURF FIELD NEXT TO THE RUNWAY. DURING LANDING THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER INVERTED. THE PILOT STATED TO FAA INSPECTORS THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD SET OUTSIDE WITH LESS THAN FULL FUEL. THE ACFT ON THE FLOATS HAS A SLIGHTLY NOSE LOW ATTITUDE WHICH PLACES WATER IN THE FUEL TANK AWAY FROM THE DRAIN LOW POINT. THE PLTS RECOMMENDATION FOR PREVENTION IS TO TILT THE FLOAT PLANE TO A FLYING ATTITUDE AND THEN DRAIN THE FUEL. FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN AFTER THE ACC SNOWED 20 PERCENT WATER IN THE RT TANK AND IN THE CARBURETOR. THE PLT STATED THAT RAIN HAD SEEPED INTO THE RT TANK THROUGH THE FILLER CAP. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1988_SEA88LA070.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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