# Accident 19990909030819A: Cessna 182P, Collegedale, TN, September 9, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 9, 1999, 19:45 local time
- Place: Collegedale, TN
- Airport: Collegedale Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.0491° N, 85.0503° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0491&lon=-85.0503&mi=10
- Aircraft: N78092, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N78092) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 182P (registry code 2075816, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 182P
- Reported engine: CONT O470R
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 108 total, 2 in this make and model, 17 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL99LA128](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA128) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990909030819A

## Narrative

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

(-23) THIS AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE STOPAGE DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. UPON EXAMINATION, THE REPORTING INSPECTOR FOUND THE RIGHT HAND FUEL CAP MISSING.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH ANTI SIPHON VALVES IN THE FILLER PORTS.  A SECTION OF THE FUEL CAP RETAINING CHAIN WAS FOUND TO BE LODGED BETWEEN THE FLAPPER VLAVE AND IT'S SEAT.  THIS ALLOWED SIPHONING TO OCCUR HOWEVER AT A VERY SLOW RATE.  AT TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT HAD ABOUT 3 HOURS OF FUEL ON BOARD.  THE FLIGHT LASTED ABOUT 1.1 HOURS.  THE FUEL CAP WAS FOUND ON THE RUNWAY AT THE COLLEGEDALE AIRPORT.  PILOT SAYS HE REMOVED THE CAP TO DIP STICK MEASURE THE FUEL QUANTITY.  HE FURTHER STATES THAT HE IS SURE IT WAS PROPERLY SECURED AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE.  THE PILOT STATEMENT IS ATTACHED. (.4) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE APPROACHING COLLEGEDALE AIRPORT, HE NOTICED THE FUEL LEVEL WAS GETTING LOW. THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE INDICATED THE TANK WAS ALMOST EMPTY, WHILE THE RIGHT FUEL GAUGE STILL INDICATED A QUARTER TANK. WHILE PREPARING FOR A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 21, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND THEN LOST POWER. HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED TOWARD RUNWAY 21 AND ATTAINED BEST GLIDE AIRSPEED. AT THIS TIME, HE OBSERVED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO R EACH THE RUNWAY. HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT AND COLLIDED WITH A LARGE FENCE POST. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT WING FUEL CAP WAS MISSING. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE FUSELAGE BEYOND THE REAR WINDOW AND ALONG THE SIDE OF THE TAIL CONE HAD BLUE STREAKS IN A SIMILAR COLOR TO 100 OCTANE LOW LEAD AVIATION FUEL. EXAMINATION OF THE FILLER PORTS AND FUEL CAPS DISCLOSED NO FAILURES TO THESE COMPONENTS. THE FUEL CAP WAS FOUND ON THE RUNWAY AT THE COLLEGEDALE AIRPORT.

## 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 ATL99LA128](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA128), Sep 9, 1999: Cessna 182P (N78092), Collegedale, TN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to secure the fuel cap which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power. A factor was the collision with a fence post.

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.

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