What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Saturday, September 11, 2021, N912VW, a Cessna 177, departed henniker, new hampshire (NH86) for a final destination of cranland airport (28M) with a planned stop at minute man air field (6B6). The prevailing conditions were VFR. Based on the pilot?s statement, the aircraft had no fuel in the left wing tank and 9 gallons in the right wing tank which he determined by using his Cessna 172 fuel hawk. According to the pilot, the aircraft engine failed due to fuel exhaustion at approximately 2,800 feet en route to minute man air field. The pilot stated he applied carb heat but did not switch tanks as the tank on the left was empty prior to him departing henniker, new hampshire. He also noted he did not declare an emergency as he had been switched off the boston frequency on which he was receiving advisories. He maintained his ATC assigned transponder code of ?5151.? The aircraft landed westbound in the lot and came to rest at the edge of the pavement. The lot is a defunct railroad shipping yard which is located approximately 5 ½ nautical miles northeast of minute man air field. The lot asphalt is in poor condition with numerous areas of broken asphalt, large potholes, and mud puddles. Just prior to stopping, nose wheel impacted a 4-5 foot high debris pile of broken asphalt and the main wheels remained on the flat surface of the asphalt. The aircraft came to rest at an approximately 30 degree nose high angle which caused the tail skid to rest on the asphalt. Tire marks were visible extending approximately 400 feet from where the aircraft came to rest. Skid marks began at roughly 200 feet. Upon inspection at the scene, there was no visual evidence of fuel in either tank. No fuel came out when sumping the gascolator and left wing tank. When sumping the right wing tank, a few drops came out. There was no visible damage to the propeller or nose wheel fairing. The nose wheel exhibited gouging on the lower side of the landing gear fork. There was brake fluid seepage on both the left hand and right hand brakes. The extent of damage to the firewall is unknown. Due to the unknown extent of damage to the nose wheel landing gear assembly, the firewall and the tail, a condition notice was left in the aircraft on September 13th.
As the FAA filed it
ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2021, N912VW, A CESSNA 177, DEPARTED HENNIKER, NEW HAMPSHIRE (NH86) FOR A FINAL DESTINATION OF CRANLAND AIRPORT (28M) WITH A PLANNED STOP AT MINUTE MAN AIR FIELD (6B6). THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS WERE VFR. BASED ON THE PILOT?S STATEMENT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD NO FUEL IN THE LEFT WING TANK AND 9 GALLONS IN THE RIGHT WING TANK WHICH HE DETERMINED BY USING HIS CESSNA 172 FUEL HAWK. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE FAILED DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION AT APPROXIMATELY 2,800 FEET EN ROUTE TO MINUTE MAN AIR FIELD. THE PILOT STATED HE APPLIED CARB HEAT BUT DID NOT SWITCH TANKS AS THE TANK ON THE LEFT WAS EMPTY PRIOR TO HIM DEPARTING HENNIKER, NEW HAMPSHIRE. HE ALSO NOTED HE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AS HE HAD BEEN SWITCHED OFF THE BOSTON FREQUENCY ON WHICH HE WAS RECEIVING ADVISORIES. HE MAINTAINED HIS ATC ASSIGNED TRANSPONDER CODE OF ?5151.? THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WESTBOUND IN THE LOT AND CAME TO REST AT THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT. THE LOT IS A DEFUNCT RAILROAD SHIPPING YARD WHICH IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 5 ½ NAUTICAL MILES NORTHEAST OF MINUTE MAN AIR FIELD. THE LOT ASPHALT IS IN POOR CONDITION WITH NUMEROUS AREAS OF BROKEN ASPHALT, LARGE POTHOLES, AND MUD PUDDLES. JUST PRIOR TO STOPPING, NOSE WHEEL IMPACTED A 4-5 FOOT HIGH DEBRIS PILE OF BROKEN ASPHALT AND THE MAIN WHEELS REMAINED ON THE FLAT SURFACE OF THE ASPHALT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT AN APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREE NOSE HIGH ANGLE WHICH CAUSED THE TAIL SKID TO REST ON THE ASPHALT. TIRE MARKS WERE VISIBLE EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET FROM WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST. SKID MARKS BEGAN AT ROUGHLY 200 FEET. UPON INSPECTION AT THE SCENE, THERE WAS NO VISUAL EVIDENCE OF FUEL IN EITHER TANK. NO FUEL CAME OUT WHEN SUMPING THE GASCOLATOR AND LEFT WING TANK. WHEN SUMPING THE RIGHT WING TANK, A FEW DROPS CAME OUT. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER OR NOSE WHEEL FAIRING. THE NOSE WHEEL EXHIBITED GOUGING ON THE LOWER SIDE OF THE LANDING GEAR FORK. THERE WAS BRAKE FLUID SEEPAGE ON BOTH THE LEFT HAND AND RIGHT HAND BRAKES. THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL IS UNKNOWN. DUE TO THE UNKNOWN EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO THE NOSE WHEEL LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY, THE FIREWALL AND THE TAIL, A CONDITION NOTICE WAS LEFT IN THE AIRCRAFT ON SEPTEMBER 13TH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.