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20020918025119A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172G · Vail, AZ · September 18, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 18, 2002 · 16:00 local
Place
Vail, AZ
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2982U
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX02LA290
Reported as
Cessna 172G
N2982URegistration cancelled Jan 10, 2018 · Cessna 172GS/N 17254808 · Built 1966Airframe modelCessna 172GEngine modelContinental 0-300 seriesReciprocating

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.

(.19) On September 18, 2002, about 1600 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172G, N2982U, experienced a total loss of engine power during cruise flight. The pilot/owner made a forced landing in a clearing adjacent to the pima county fairgrounds, about 4 miles west of Vail, Arizona. The airplane stalled and impacted the ground hard. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the commercial certificated pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. No flight plan was filed. The personal flight originated from el paso, Texas, about 1330 mountain daylight time. The pilot reported to the national transportation safety board investigator that he had purchased the airplane earlier in the day from a company located in el paso. He planned to fly the airplane nonstop to his home near casa grande, Arizona. En route, he experienced strong headwinds and noted that the fuel supply was low. The pilot reported that he should have diverted to available airports, but thought he had sufficient fuel to fly home despite the headwinds. Approaching the tucson area he advised the air traffic controllers that he was low on fuel. When all engine power was lost he aimed for a clearing near a drag strip. On short final approach to the clearing he observed power lines and dissipated airspeed to avoid them. The airplane missed the power lines but stalled and impacted the ground hard. No mechanical problems were reported with the airplane. (-23) September 18, 2002 at about 1600 MST a Cessna 172G N2982U piloted by joseph a riggs jr. experienced a total loss of engine power in cruise flight. The aircraft impacted the ground in the desert about 4 miles west of Vail Arizona. The aircraft was being flown from el paso Texas to the owners home near casa grande Arizona. The pilot had just purchased the aircraft in el paso. The apparent cause of the accident as stated by the pilot was fuel exhaustion.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2002, ABOUT 1600 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172G, N2982U, EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. THE PILOT/OWNER MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A CLEARING ADJACENT TO THE PIMA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, ABOUT 4 MILES WEST OF VAIL, ARIZONA. THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND HARD. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM EL PASO, TEXAS, ABOUT 1330 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT HE HAD PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE EARLIER IN THE DAY FROM A COMPANY LOCATED IN EL PASO. HE PLANNED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE NONSTOP TO HIS HOME NEAR CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA. EN ROUTE, HE EXPERIENCED STRONG HEADWINDS AND NOTED THAT THE FUEL SUPPLY WAS LOW. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE DIVERTED TO AVAILABLE AIRPORTS, BUT THOUGHT HE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL TO FLY HOME DESPITE THE HEADWINDS. APPROACHING THE TUCSON AREA HE ADVISED THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS THAT HE WAS LOW ON FUEL. WHEN ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST HE AIMED FOR A CLEARING NEAR A DRAG STRIP. ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH TO THE CLEARING HE OBSERVED POWER LINES AND DISSIPATED AIRSPEED TO AVOID THEM. THE AIRPLANE MISSED THE POWER LINES BUT STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND HARD. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED WITH THE AIRPLANE. (-23) SEPTEMBER 18, 2002 AT ABOUT 1600 MST A CESSNA 172G N2982U PILOTED BY JOSEPH A RIGGS JR. EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER IN CRUISE FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN THE DESERT ABOUT 4 MILES WEST OF VAIL ARIZONA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN FROM EL PASO TEXAS TO THE OWNERS HOME NEAR CASA GRANDE ARIZONA. THE PILOT HAD JUST PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT IN EL PASO. THE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT AS STATED BY THE PILOT WAS FUEL EXHAUSTION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX02LA290Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportVail, AZThe pilot's inadequate fuel consumption calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.Sep 18, 2002 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2982U · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20170830014029ALanding: Approach · Belle Fourche, SDOn 8/30/2017 at 1100 a Cessna 172G owned/registered to Belle Fourche aero, LLC was involved in an accident during landing approach while performing instruction. Clear day conditions prevailed, no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained substantial…Aug 30, 2017 · Substantial damage