20110618011159A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172P · Mt. Pleasant, UT · June 18, 2011

Date: June 18, 2011 · 15:20 local
Place: Mt. Pleasant, UT
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N65654
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR11LA266
Reported as: Cessna 172P
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-320-D2J
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 5
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 540 total1 in the last 90 days

N65654Registration cancelled May 18, 2012 · Cessna 172PS/N 17275800 · Built 2005 Airframe modelCessna 172P Engine modelLycoming IO-360-L2AReciprocating

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.

During preflight, the pilot did not check the fuel quantity. He relied on the previous pilot telling him that the airplane was full. Neither he nor the previous pilot knew that the airplane had been flown by a thrid party the day before. On the day of the accident, the pilot took off and flew 3 legs, totalling about 80 minutes, when the aircraft ran out of fuel. The pilot knew the fuel gauges were indicating low through out the flight, but thought they were inaccurrate.

As the FAA filed it

DURING PREFLIGHT, THE PILOT DID NOT CHECK THE FUEL QUANTITY. HE RELIED ON THE PREVIOUS PILOT TELLING HIM THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FULL. NEITHER HE NOR THE PREVIOUS PILOT KNEW THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FLOWN BY A THRID PARTY THE DAY BEFORE. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT TOOK OFF AND FLEW 3 LEGS, TOTALLING ABOUT 80 MINUTES, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE PILOT KNEW THE FUEL GAUGES WERE INDICATING LOW THROUGH OUT THE FLIGHT, BUT THOUGHT THEY WERE INACCURRATE.

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 WPR11LA266Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMount Pleasant, UTThe pilot’s failure to determine the airplane’s fuel quantity before takeoff, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.Jun 18, 2011 · Substantial damage