20030208006679I

Incident

FAA incident report · Cessna 172L · Niceville, FL · February 8, 2003

Date: February 8, 2003 · 17:10 local
Place: Niceville, FL
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N5081U
Reported as: Cessna 172L
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,650 total750 in this make and model18 in the last 90 days

N5081URegistered now · Cessna 172LS/N 17259673 · Built 1971 Airframe modelCessna 172L Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

(-23) Pilot stated that he departed eglin afb (vps) for tampa in N5081U with a full tank of fuel (36 gallons, usable). The trip took two and one half hours. At tampa, the aircraft took on 14 gallons of fuel and proceeded back to eglin afb. Aircraft lost power approximately 3 miles from vps and a forced landing was made on highway 20, 3 miles east of Niceville, FL. No damage to the aircraft ensued and there were no injuries reported. The pilot stated an on site inspection confirmed that the left fuel tank was dry and that there was very little fuel remaining in the right tank (unusable).

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE DEPARTED EGLIN AFB (VPS) FOR TAMPA IN N5081U WITH A FULL TANK OF FUEL (36 GALLONS, USABLE). THE TRIP TOOK TWO AND ONE HALF HOURS. AT TAMPA, THE AIRCRAFT TOOK ON 14 GALLONS OF FUEL AND PROCEEDED BACK TO EGLIN AFB. AIRCRAFT LOST POWER APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES FROM VPS AND A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE ON HIGHWAY 20, 3 MILES EAST OF NICEVILLE, FL. NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT ENSUED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE PILOT STATED AN ON SITE INSPECTION CONFIRMED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS DRY AND THAT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE FUEL REMAINING IN THE RIGHT TANK (UNUSABLE).