19970405041279A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 182D · Tucson, AZ · April 5, 1997

Date: April 5, 1997 · 14:50 local
Place: Tucson, AZ
Airport: La Cholla Airpark Airport
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9000X
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX97LA147
Reported as: Cessna 182D
Reported engine: Continental O470L
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,000 total

N9000XRegistered now · Cessna 182DS/N 18253400 Airframe modelCessna 182D

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Lost power climbout to cruise. Failed visualy check fuel. Suspect out of fuel. Landed on road. Ran off into ditch. (.4) the owner reported that he had purchased the airplane from the pilot the day before the accident flight. The purpose of the flight was to familiarize himself with the airplane. Prior to departure he and the pilot had performed portions of the preflight inspection. He had not examined the fuel tanks to determine the quantity of fuel onboard, but believed both of the fuel tank gauges registered about 1/4 full. During initial climb the engine surged several times and all power was lost. According to the owner, he then relinquished control to the right seated pilot. The right seated pilot made a forced landing in a southerly direction on a nearby road. During rollout the airplane encountered a strong westerly crosswind, veered off the road, and collided with a dirt embankment. The owner subsequently reported that he suspected the airplane ran out of gas.

As the FAA filed it

LOST POWER CLIMBOUT TO CRUISE. FAILED VISUALY CHECK FUEL. SUSPECT OUT OF FUEL. LANDED ON ROAD. RAN OFF INTO DITCH. (.4) THE OWNER REPORTED THAT HE HAD PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE FROM THE PILOT THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO FAMILIARIZE HIMSELF WITH THE AIRPLANE. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE HE AND THE PILOT HAD PERFORMED PORTIONS OF THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. HE HAD NOT EXAMINED THE FUEL TANKS TO DETERMINE THE QUANTITY OF FUEL ONBOARD, BUT BELIEVED BOTH OF THE FUEL TANK GAUGES REGISTERED ABOUT 1/4 FULL. DURING INITIAL CLIMB THE ENGINE SURGED SEVERAL TIMES AND ALL POWER WAS LOST. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER, HE THEN RELINQUISHED CONTROL TO THE RIGHT SEATED PILOT. THE RIGHT SEATED PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION ON A NEARBY ROAD. DURING ROLLOUT THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A STRONG WESTERLY CROSSWIND, VEERED OFF THE ROAD, AND COLLIDED WITH A DIRT EMBANKMENT. THE OWNER SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED THAT HE SUSPECTED THE AIRPLANE RAN OUT OF GAS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX97LA147Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportTucson, AZFuel exhaustion due to the inadequate preflight inspections performed by both pilots. A factor in the accident was the crosswind experienced during landing rollout.Apr 5, 1997 · Substantial damage