20030721015669I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 180 · Bend, OR · July 21, 2003

Date: July 21, 2003 · 09:40 local
Place: Bend, OR
Airport: Sunriver Airport
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N2244C
Reported as: Cessna 180
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 30,000 total2,500 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N2244CRegistered now · Cessna 180S/N 30544 Airframe modelCessna 180 Engine modelContinental O-470 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) On approach to landing at Sunriver, OR., Mr. Poschwatta said the engine lost power when he selected full flaps for landing. He said he was on a 1/2 mile final to runway 18 when the loss of power occurred. The power loss caused him to land in a field short of the runway. The aircraft received minor damage to the propeller and the entry steps attached to the fuselage were broken off. Mr. Poschwatta said he was very low on fuel and thought that the aircraft attitude change associated with the full flap selection caused the fuel tanks fuel lines to vent, starving the engine of fuel. The fuel gauges were checked during the investigation and both gauges read empty.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON APPROACH TO LANDING AT SUNRIVER, OR., MR. POSCHWATTA SAID THE ENGINE LOST POWER WHEN HE SELECTED FULL FLAPS FOR LANDING. HE SAID HE WAS ON A 1/2 MILE FINAL TO RUNWAY 18 WHEN THE LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED. THE POWER LOSS CAUSED HIM TO LAND IN A FIELD SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AND THE ENTRY STEPS ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE WERE BROKEN OFF. MR. POSCHWATTA SAID HE WAS VERY LOW ON FUEL AND THOUGHT THAT THE AIRCRAFT ATTITUDE CHANGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FULL FLAP SELECTION CAUSED THE FUEL TANKS FUEL LINES TO VENT, STARVING THE ENGINE OF FUEL. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE CHECKED DURING THE INVESTIGATION AND BOTH GAUGES READ EMPTY.