What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) A pilot of a Cessna 180 was making a cross-country flight from wichita KS to his home in California with a planned fuel stop at Sedona AZ. The pilot stated that he had made the trip before nonstop and had no problems in the past. The flight had proceeded normally until he over flew the airport for landing. The engine stopped and the pilot could not restart. The aircraft struck the ground 10 short of the runway in a full stall condition. The aircraft was substantially damaged. After the accident the pilot stated that there was several gallons of fuel remaining in the left tank only and the engine started. The fuel pick up for a CE180 is in the aft part of the wing. It makes sense if the aircraft was descending and the fuel ran out you would have some unusable fuel in the tank.(.4) the pilot and two passenger s departed wichita, Kansas, for a planned nonstop flight to Sedona, Arizona. The pilot was familiar with the route and had about 1,800 hours flying experience in the airplane, which had been modified to hold 73 gallons of fuel. While en route, all airplane systems functioned normally, and no adverse weather was encountered. Fuel exhaustion occurred upon arrival over the destination airport at 8,500 feet MSL. The pilot repositioned the fuel selector to the left fuel tank, but engine power was not restored. The airport's elevation is 4,827 feet MSL, and the runway is 5,132 feet long. The pilot descended into the airport's downwind leg, and then turned onto the base leg and final approach leg for runway 21. He reported experiencing a 15- to 20-knot wind from 270 degrees. Unable to glide to the runway, the pilot touched down hard in the dirt between 10 and 15 feet short of the runway, in a stalled attitude. The left main wheel contacted an 8- to 10-inch asphalt berm at the approach end of the runway. After the accident the pilot attempted to start the engine. He stated that the left fuel tank contained several gallons of fuel, and after several seconds of cranking the engine started and operated normally. He also reported that during the flight all of the airplane's systems had functioned normally. Under the direction of the safety board, an airframe and powerplant mechanic examined the airplane. The mechanic reported that both of the airplane's wing fuel tank gauges and the auxiliary tank gauge registered empty.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) A PILOT OF A CESSNA 180 WAS MAKING A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM WICHITA KS TO HIS HOME IN CALIFORNIA WITH A PLANNED FUEL STOP AT SEDONA AZ. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD MADE THE TRIP BEFORE NONSTOP AND HAD NO PROBLEMS IN THE PAST. THE FLIGHT HAD PROCEEDED NORMALLY UNTIL HE OVER FLEW THE AIRPORT FOR LANDING. THE ENGINE STOPPED AND THE PILOT COULD NOT RESTART. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND 10 SHORT OF THE RUNWAY IN A FULL STALL CONDITION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WAS SEVERAL GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE LEFT TANK ONLY AND THE ENGINE STARTED. THE FUEL PICK UP FOR A CE180 IS IN THE AFT PART OF THE WING. IT MAKES SENSE IF THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING AND THE FUEL RAN OUT YOU WOULD HAVE SOME UNUSABLE FUEL IN THE TANK.(.4) THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGER S DEPARTED WICHITA, KANSAS, FOR A PLANNED NONSTOP FLIGHT TO SEDONA, ARIZONA. THE PILOT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ROUTE AND HAD ABOUT 1,800 HOURS FLYING EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE, WHICH HAD BEEN MODIFIED TO HOLD 73 GALLONS OF FUEL. WHILE EN ROUTE, ALL AIRPLANE SYSTEMS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY, AND NO ADVERSE WEATHER WAS ENCOUNTERED. FUEL EXHAUSTION OCCURRED UPON ARRIVAL OVER THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AT 8,500 FEET MSL. THE PILOT REPOSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK, BUT ENGINE POWER WAS NOT RESTORED. THE AIRPORT'S ELEVATION IS 4,827 FEET MSL, AND THE RUNWAY IS 5,132 FEET LONG. THE PILOT DESCENDED INTO THE AIRPORT'S DOWNWIND LEG, AND THEN TURNED ONTO THE BASE LEG AND FINAL APPROACH LEG FOR RUNWAY 21. HE REPORTED EXPERIENCING A 15- TO 20-KNOT WIND FROM 270 DEGREES. UNABLE TO GLIDE TO THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT TOUCHED DOWN HARD IN THE DIRT BETWEEN 10 AND 15 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, IN A STALLED ATTITUDE. THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL CONTACTED AN 8- TO 10-INCH ASPHALT BERM AT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE. HE STATED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK CONTAINED SEVERAL GALLONS OF FUEL, AND AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS OF CRANKING THE ENGINE STARTED AND OPERATED NORMALLY. HE ALSO REPORTED THAT DURING THE FLIGHT ALL OF THE AIRPLANE'S SYSTEMS HAD FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE SAFETY BOARD, AN AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT MECHANIC EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE. THE MECHANIC REPORTED THAT BOTH OF THE AIRPLANE'S WING FUEL TANK GAUGES AND THE AUXILIARY TANK GAUGE REGISTERED EMPTY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.