What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft ran out of fuel and made an emergency landing in desert terrain 1 mile south of stellar airpark, acft came to rest inverted. (.4) the pilot told the tower that she was running out of fuel. She reported that the aircraft shook and started losing altitude, then seemed to start back up before quitting completely. The pilot landed in the desert terrain and the nose gear and left main landing gear were ripped off. The aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted. An FAA inspector examined the airplane and reported that the fuel lines and both fuel tanks were intact and there was no fuel visible in either tank. He further stated that he conducted an engine run after adding approximately 1 gallon of fuel and making no other adjustments. The engine started on the first try and ran smoothly for several minutes with no abnormal sounds or indications noted. On the flight from tucson to las vegas, 40.7 gallons of fuel were added to the aircraft tanks following landing at north las vegas. The fuel system holds 43 total gallons, of which 40.7 are usable. (-23) on August 17, 1998 a Cessna 172N, N5233D enroute from north las vegas airport to avra valley (E-14) diverted to Chandler municipal (P-10) due to low fuel. While enroute pilot reported aircraft started shaking then it stopped then started shaking again, pilot then radioed Chandler tower to inform them she was experiencing problems, Chandler tower then tried to divert her to stellar airpark, pilot reported the propeller stopped turning and she made an emergeny landing in an open field. During her landing roll out the aircraft struck a concrete irrigation ditch. Aircraft came to rest upside down with substantial damage, pilot and passengers escaped with only minor injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN DESERT TERRAIN 1 MILE SOUTH OF STELLAR AIRPARK, ACFT CAME TO REST INVERTED. (.4) THE PILOT TOLD THE TOWER THAT SHE WAS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. SHE REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SHOOK AND STARTED LOSING ALTITUDE, THEN SEEMED TO START BACK UP BEFORE QUITTING COMPLETELY. THE PILOT LANDED IN THE DESERT TERRAIN AND THE NOSE GEAR AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE RIPPED OFF. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AND REPORTED THAT THE FUEL LINES AND BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE INTACT AND THERE WAS NO FUEL VISIBLE IN EITHER TANK. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE CONDUCTED AN ENGINE RUN AFTER ADDING APPROXIMATELY 1 GALLON OF FUEL AND MAKING NO OTHER ADJUSTMENTS. THE ENGINE STARTED ON THE FIRST TRY AND RAN SMOOTHLY FOR SEVERAL MINUTES WITH NO ABNORMAL SOUNDS OR INDICATIONS NOTED. ON THE FLIGHT FROM TUCSON TO LAS VEGAS, 40.7 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE ADDED TO THE AIRCRAFT TANKS FOLLOWING LANDING AT NORTH LAS VEGAS. THE FUEL SYSTEM HOLDS 43 TOTAL GALLONS, OF WHICH 40.7 ARE USABLE. (-23) ON AUGUST 17, 1998 A CESSNA 172N, N5233D ENROUTE FROM NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT TO AVRA VALLEY (E-14) DIVERTED TO CHANDLER MUNICIPAL (P-10) DUE TO LOW FUEL. WHILE ENROUTE PILOT REPORTED AIRCRAFT STARTED SHAKING THEN IT STOPPED THEN STARTED SHAKING AGAIN, PILOT THEN RADIOED CHANDLER TOWER TO INFORM THEM SHE WAS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS, CHANDLER TOWER THEN TRIED TO DIVERT HER TO STELLAR AIRPARK, PILOT REPORTED THE PROPELLER STOPPED TURNING AND SHE MADE AN EMERGENY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. DURING HER LANDING ROLL OUT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A CONCRETE IRRIGATION DITCH. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, PILOT AND PASSENGERS ESCAPED WITH ONLY MINOR INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5233D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.