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:

A flight instructor successfully ditched his Cessna 150 in Puget Sound after an engine failure, skillfully maneuvering the unpowered aircraft to avoid populated areas.
After impact, the pilot faced a critical challenge unfastening his jammed seatbelt while inverted and submerged, highlighting an unexpected hazard during water landings.
The incident led the pilot to strongly advocate for carrying seatbelt cutters and retrofitting shoulder harnesses in older aircraft to enhance post-crash survival.

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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.