20180705012609A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172H · King And Queen, VA · July 5, 2018

Date: July 5, 2018 · 17:15 local
Place: King And Queen, VA
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N1401F
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA18CA431
Reported as: Cessna 172H
Reported engine: Continental 0-300 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 159 total144 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N1401FRegistration cancelled Apr 2, 2022 · Cessna 172HS/N 17254896 Airframe modelCessna 172H Engine modelContinental 0-300 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.

Pilot departed ksym (moorehead airport) enroute to kmfv (melfa airport) with no planned fuel stops. Pilot experienced power loss and subsequent fuel starvation in cruise flight which resulted in an off field landing in a soybean field. Aircraft initial point of contact was a nose down attitude resulting in structural damage to the firewall hence the nose landing gear strut assembly separtion. Aircraft skidded and ground looped causing structural damage to the l/h and r/h outboard wing sections.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED KSYM (MOOREHEAD AIRPORT) ENROUTE TO KMFV (MELFA AIRPORT) WITH NO PLANNED FUEL STOPS. PILOT EXPERIENCED POWER LOSS AND SUBSEQUENT FUEL STARVATION IN CRUISE FLIGHT WHICH RESULTED IN AN OFF FIELD LANDING IN A SOYBEAN FIELD. AIRCRAFT INITIAL POINT OF CONTACT WAS A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE RESULTING IN STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL HENCE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR STRUT ASSEMBLY SEPARTION. AIRCRAFT SKIDDED AND GROUND LOOPED CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE L/H AND R/H OUTBOARD WING SECTIONS.

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 GAA18CA431Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportKing and Queen, VAThe pilot’s improper preflight fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of engine power.Jul 5, 2018 · Substantial damage