20020314006779I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172P · Mayer, AZ · March 14, 2002

Date: March 14, 2002 · 08:15 local
Place: Mayer, AZ
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N54175
Reported as: Cessna 172P
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 15,000 total700 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

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.

(-23) While enroute in cruise configuration intructor and student observed both fuel gauges show a sudden and rapid decrease in fuel quantity. After rolling wings back and forth and fishtailing plane, fuel gauges continued to show decreasing indication. Instructor elected to make precautionary landing off field rather than risk possible fuel exhaustion. Propeller received tip damage from gravel/rocks during landing roll out. During retrival of aircraft, mechanics noted fuel gauges indicating approximately 1/2 on right tank, 3/4 on left tank and were unable to duplicate problem. Prior to recovery of the aircraft 25 total gallons of fuel drained from the tanks.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE ENROUTE IN CRUISE CONFIGURATION INTRUCTOR AND STUDENT OBSERVED BOTH FUEL GAUGES SHOW A SUDDEN AND RAPID DECREASE IN FUEL QUANTITY. AFTER ROLLING WINGS BACK AND FORTH AND FISHTAILING PLANE, FUEL GAUGES CONTINUED TO SHOW DECREASING INDICATION. INSTRUCTOR ELECTED TO MAKE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING OFF FIELD RATHER THAN RISK POSSIBLE FUEL EXHAUSTION. PROPELLER RECEIVED TIP DAMAGE FROM GRAVEL/ROCKS DURING LANDING ROLL OUT. DURING RETRIVAL OF AIRCRAFT, MECHANICS NOTED FUEL GAUGES INDICATING APPROXIMATELY 1/2 ON RIGHT TANK, 3/4 ON LEFT TANK AND WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. PRIOR TO RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT 25 TOTAL GALLONS OF FUEL DRAINED FROM THE TANKS.