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20140127002209I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Oceanside, CA · January 27, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 27, 2014 · 13:59 local
Place
Oceanside, CA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N172FT
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
15,000 total
N172FTRegistered now · Cessna 172NS/N 17270486Airframe modelCessna 172NEngine 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.

Declared an emergency over camp pendleton due to a rough running engine and made a precautionary landing on dirt strip.

Pilot and passenger were on a cross country flight that lasted 2 hours. Pilot left kcrq with approximately left and right tank half full as indicated on fuel gauges. No visual or actual measuring of fuel quantity was performed.

Aircraft flew to ksmo for touch and go's. pilot admitted he also touched down at torrance and hawthorne airports for touch and go. On his way back engine ran rough, pilot stated his fuel tanks still show some fuel. As the aircraft approached Oceanside airport, engine quit, restarted and ran rough. The pilot had no choice but to put it down in the nearest open area.

No damage or injuries were sustained. I inspected the aircraft on 01/28/14 and found evidence of fuel depletion. Right fuel gauge indicated about half full, but tank had no fuel.

Verified with California aero that there was no fuel on board. They removed the wings in order to transport aircraft from us marine facility, they drained the tanks and only 2 fluid ounces was present.

As the FAA filed it

DECLARED AN EMERGENCY OVER CAMP PENDLETON DUE TO A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE AND MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON DIRT STRIP.

PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT LASTED 2 HOURS. PILOT LEFT KCRQ WITH APPROXIMATELY LEFT AND RIGHT TANK HALF FULL AS INDICATED ON FUEL GAUGES. NO VISUAL OR ACTUAL MEASURING OF FUEL QUANTITY WAS PERFORMED.

AIRCRAFT FLEW TO KSMO FOR TOUCH AND GO'S. PILOT ADMITTED HE ALSO TOUCHED DOWN AT TORRANCE AND HAWTHORNE AIRPORTS FOR TOUCH AND GO. ON HIS WAY BACK ENGINE RAN ROUGH, PILOT STATED HIS FUEL TANKS STILL SHOW SOME FUEL. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED OCEANSIDE AIRPORT, ENGINE QUIT, RESTARTED AND RAN ROUGH. THE PILOT HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PUT IT DOWN IN THE NEAREST OPEN AREA.

NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. I INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT ON 01/28/14 AND FOUND EVIDENCE OF FUEL DEPLETION. RIGHT FUEL GAUGE INDICATED ABOUT HALF FULL, BUT TANK HAD NO FUEL.

VERIFIED WITH CALIFORNIA AERO THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL ON BOARD. THEY REMOVED THE WINGS IN ORDER TO TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT FROM US MARINE FACILITY, THEY DRAINED THE TANKS AND ONLY 2 FLUID OUNCES WAS PRESENT.