Ditching a Cessna 150

Headset, kneeboard—seat belt cutter? A flight instructor from Seattle, Washington, has added the latter to his must-haves when he flies, after he experienced an uncommanded loss of engine power and ended up putting the airplane into the water in West Seattle.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, August 02, 2022 at 10:12 AM ET

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A Cessna 150 [File Photo: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Flight instructor John La Porta successfully ditched his Cessna 150 off Alki Beach after experiencing a total loss of engine power, demonstrating skilled piloting by avoiding populated land.
Although he survived the water landing, the aircraft flipped, and La Porta struggled significantly to release his jammed seatbelt while inverted and underwater, highlighting a critical safety issue.
As a result of his experience, La Porta now strongly advocates for pilots to carry a seatbelt cutter and to retrofit older aircraft with shoulder harnesses, which were essential for his survival and egress.

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Headset, kneeboard—seat belt cutter? How many of you carry these items with you every time you fly? John La Porta, 66, a flight instructor from Seattle, Washington, has added the latter to his must-haves when he flies, after he experienced an uncommanded loss of engine power last week and ended up putting the airplane into the water just off Alki Beach in West Seattle.

“If a total loss of oil pressure is accompanied by a rise in oil temperature, there is good reason to suspect an engine failure is imminent” so sayeth the pilots operating handbook of the Cessna 150. La Porta lived this on Tuesday, July 26.