# Accident 19980508008619A: Cessna 177B, Prattsville, OH, May 8, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 8, 1998, 19:36 local time
- Place: Prattsville, OH
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.2396° N, 82.4709° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2396&lon=-82.4709&mi=10
- Aircraft: N904DS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N904DS-2000-03-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 177B (registry code 2073708, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-177b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 177B
- Reported engine: LYC O360*
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,055 total, 120 in this make and model, 163 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98LA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA055) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980508008619A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LOST POWER ENROUTE. NOSED OVER LANDING ON A SLOPE. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL AT SCENE. FAILED TO VISUALLY CHECK FUEL.. (.4) TWO PILOTS DEPARTED WITHOUT VISUALLY VERIFYING THE QUANTITY OF FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS. DURING CLIMBOUT, THE PILOTS NOTED THE RIGHT FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR`...WAS ALL THE WAY ON `E', THE LEFT READ THREE-QUARTERS.' THE PILOT SELECTED THE RIGHT TANK POSITION ON THE FUEL SELECTOR AND FLEW FOR 50 MINUTES. HE SAID THIS SATISFIED HIS SUSPICION THAT THE RIGHT FUEL GAUGE WAS INACCURATE. THE PILOT SAID HE THEN FLEW FROM THE LEFT TANK TO BALANCE THE FUEL LOAD AND ULTIMATELY SWITCHED THE SELECTOR TO `BOTH.' WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 9,000 FEET, AFTER APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME, THE ENGINE STOPPED PRODUCING POWER. DURING A SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING ON UNEVEN TERRAIN, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL AT THE SCENE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, AN FAA INSPECTOR STARTED AND RAN THE ENGINE ON THE AIRFRAME. AFTER REVIEWING HIS RECORDS AND FUEL RECEIPTS, THE CO-PILOT/OWNER STATED THE AIRPLANE OPERATED TO ITS FUEL ENDURANCE. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS ON IFR FLIGHT PLAN AT 9000' WHEN ENGINE STOPPED- RESTART                                                                  FAILED AND VECTORS WERE REQUESTED, FROM HTS APPROACH, TO NEAREST AIRPORT. UNABLE TO EXTEND GLIDE TO NEAREST AIRPORT RESULTING IN OFF AIRPORT LANDING WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AIRCRAFT - NO INJURIES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB IAD98LA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA055), May 8, 1998: Cessna 177B (N904DS), Prattsville, OH, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and the inadequate fuel consumption calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. Uneven terrain in the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.