# Incident 20060925025789I: Cessna 172N, Abita Springs, LA, September 25, 2006

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 25, 2006, 18:30 local time
- Place: Abita Springs, LA
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: HEBA
- Location: 30.4736° N, 90.0204° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Abita Springs, LA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.4736&lon=-90.0204&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2401E, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2401E-2017-10-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N
- Reported engine: LYC O360A4M
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 550 total, 375 in this make and model, 45 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060925025789I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-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.

- [Accident 20111017023859A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20111017023859A), Oct 17, 2011: Cessna 172N (N2401E), Abita Springs, LA, Substantial damage. Pilot was dropping banner at KL31 on a southbound heading east of runway 18/36 at approximately 200 feet AGL. After releasing the banner the pilot applied full…
- [Accident 19981113034739A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981113034739A), Nov 13, 1998: Cessna 172N (N2401E), Prescott, AZ, Substantial damage. On November 13, 1998, at 1600 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 172N, N2401E, force landed in rough terrain 15 miles west of Prescott Arizona, following a…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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