What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot departed st tammany regional (L31) on banner towing mission over the city of new orleans. Aircraft carried 43 gallons of fuel with 40 usable. Pilot planned for flight to new orleans, two and a half hours of circling, and the return flight to st tammany. Pilot advised he planned for a total flight time of four hours and to land with approximately a thirty minute reserve using a burn rate of 8.1 gallons an hour. On the return flight home from the new orleans area, the engine stopped running after 3.8 hours of operation. Pilot was forced to jettison the banner and make a forced landing on a highway median. Landing was successful and aircraft suffered no damage. During recovery operations, the master switch was turned back on and the fuel gauges read empty. Once back at st tammany airport the aircraft was refueled and took a total of 44 gallons (22 a side). Pilot stated he used a Cessna performance chart for a Cessna 172N with a 180 HP engine and because he was cruising below the lowest altitude on the chart, he had to interpolate to arrive at what he thought would be an accurate fuel burn rate. For unknown reasons, aircraft consumed fuel at a higher rate and reached fuel exhaustion sooner than planned.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT DEPARTED ST TAMMANY REGIONAL (L31) ON BANNER TOWING MISSION OVER THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. AIRCRAFT CARRIED 43 GALLONS OF FUEL WITH 40 USABLE. PILOT PLANNED FOR FLIGHT TO NEW ORLEANS, TWO AND A HALF HOURS OF CIRCLING, AND THE RETURN FLIGHT TO ST TAMMANY. PILOT ADVISED HE PLANNED FOR A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF FOUR HOURS AND TO LAND WITH APPROXIMATELY A THIRTY MINUTE RESERVE USING A BURN RATE OF 8.1 GALLONS AN HOUR. ON THE RETURN FLIGHT HOME FROM THE NEW ORLEANS AREA, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING AFTER 3.8 HOURS OF OPERATION. PILOT WAS FORCED TO JETTISON THE BANNER AND MAKE A FORCED LANDING ON A HIGHWAY MEDIAN. LANDING WAS SUCCESSFUL AND AIRCRAFT SUFFERED NO DAMAGE. DURING RECOVERY OPERATIONS, THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED BACK ON AND THE FUEL GAUGES READ EMPTY. ONCE BACK AT ST TAMMANY AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT WAS REFUELED AND TOOK A TOTAL OF 44 GALLONS (22 A SIDE). PILOT STATED HE USED A CESSNA PERFORMANCE CHART FOR A CESSNA 172N WITH A 180 HP ENGINE AND BECAUSE HE WAS CRUISING BELOW THE LOWEST ALTITUDE ON THE CHART, HE HAD TO INTERPOLATE TO ARRIVE AT WHAT HE THOUGHT WOULD BE AN ACCURATE FUEL BURN RATE. FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, AIRCRAFT CONSUMED FUEL AT A HIGHER RATE AND REACHED FUEL EXHAUSTION SOONER THAN PLANNED.
Other reports on N2401E · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.