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20210705012649I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172 · Leesburgh, FL · July 5, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 5, 2021 · 11:58 local
Place
Leesburgh, FL
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N7160A
Reported as
Cessna 172
Reported engine
Continental 0-300 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
309 total250 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N7160ARegistered now · Cessna 172S/N 29260 · Built 1956Airframe modelCessna 172Engine 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 stated he used a self pump station at kcrg to put fuel in the aircraft, N7160A, before his flight on July 5, 2021. The pilot also stated was rushed and that he did not verify the fuel level visually or that the fuel caps were on properly during the preflight inspection. The pilot could not produce a receipt for the fuel and it is unclear if there was enough fuel for the flight..

The pilot was on a night IFR flight plan from kcrg to klee. Approximately 10 miles away from klee the pilot entered VMC and cancelled the IFR flight plan.

During the descent into klee at approximately 2000 feet the engine loss power. The pilot made a call to orlando ATC informing them of the emergency. Last known contact was at 1158 local time (0358Z).

The pilot was over the ocala national forest, Florida at the time and spotted a road. The pilot was able to land on the road with no damage to the aircraft or property and no injuries.

The pilot estimated that the reason for the loss of power was fuel starvation. The pilot's reasoning was that the left fuel cap was loose and the turbulence encountered during the flight caused the fuel to splash out.

A marion county deputy was on the scene. The deputy and the pilot both spoke to the FAA inspector on call. The deputy helped the pilot get some auto fuel (aircraft has the STC). After refueling the aircraft and a check of the road for takeoff, the pilot took off and flew to klee without further incident.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED HE USED A SELF PUMP STATION AT KCRG TO PUT FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT, N7160A, BEFORE HIS FLIGHT ON JULY 5, 2021. THE PILOT ALSO STATED WAS RUSHED AND THAT HE DID NOT VERIFY THE FUEL LEVEL VISUALLY OR THAT THE FUEL CAPS WERE ON PROPERLY DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. THE PILOT COULD NOT PRODUCE A RECEIPT FOR THE FUEL AND IT IS UNCLEAR IF THERE WAS ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE FLIGHT..

THE PILOT WAS ON A NIGHT IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM KCRG TO KLEE. APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES AWAY FROM KLEE THE PILOT ENTERED VMC AND CANCELLED THE IFR FLIGHT PLAN.

DURING THE DESCENT INTO KLEE AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET THE ENGINE LOSS POWER. THE PILOT MADE A CALL TO ORLANDO ATC INFORMING THEM OF THE EMERGENCY. LAST KNOWN CONTACT WAS AT 1158 LOCAL TIME (0358Z).

THE PILOT WAS OVER THE OCALA NATIONAL FOREST, FLORIDA AT THE TIME AND SPOTTED A ROAD. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LAND ON THE ROAD WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OR PROPERTY AND NO INJURIES.

THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF POWER WAS FUEL STARVATION. THE PILOT'S REASONING WAS THAT THE LEFT FUEL CAP WAS LOOSE AND THE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTERED DURING THE FLIGHT CAUSED THE FUEL TO SPLASH OUT.

A MARION COUNTY DEPUTY WAS ON THE SCENE. THE DEPUTY AND THE PILOT BOTH SPOKE TO THE FAA INSPECTOR ON CALL. THE DEPUTY HELPED THE PILOT GET SOME AUTO FUEL (AIRCRAFT HAS THE STC). AFTER REFUELING THE AIRCRAFT AND A CHECK OF THE ROAD FOR TAKEOFF, THE PILOT TOOK OFF AND FLEW TO KLEE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.