# Accident 20221102019479A: Cessna 172P, Greenville, SC, November 2, 2022 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 2, 2022, 12:52 local time - Place: Greenville, SC - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.8454° N, 82.2613° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8454&lon=-82.2613&mi=10 - Aircraft: N65615, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N65615-2023-09-27) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172P (registry code 2072436, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot, student - Pilot flight hours: 182 total, 148 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA23LA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA049) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20221102019479A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. PILOT STATEMENT: "ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 2ND 2022, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND I LEFT CHARLESTON INTERNATIONAL TO SUMMERVILLE AIRPORT IN A CESSNA 172 THAT WE DROPPED OFF FOR MAINTENANCE. FROM THERE, WE WOULD PICK UP ANOTHER CESSNA 172,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^TO HEAD TO GREENVILLE FOR THE DAY. I PICKED UP THE KEYS FROM THE MAINTENANCE OFFICE AND DID A THOROUGH PREFLIGHT INSPECTION ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE PLANE TO INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO CHECKING THE FUEL AND OIL. WHEN I PHYSICALLY CHECKED THE FUEL, EACH SIDE HAD ABOUT 12 GALLONS. BASED ON MY CALCULATIONS I BELIEVED THIS WOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR THE TRIP. WE PROCEEDED FROM SUMMERVILLE HEADED TO GREENVILLE DOWNTOWN AIRPORT (KGMU) AND THEN REQUESTED FLIGHT FOLLOWING FROM COLUMBIA APPROACH AS VFR. THE FLIGHT WAS TO BE ABOUT AN HOUR AND 40 MINUTES. THE PLANE WAS RUNNING WELL, AS WE ASCENDED UP TO 4500 FEET I LEANED THE MIXTURE. OUR AIRSPEED AVERAGED AROUND 97 KNOTS THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT. WHEN WE WERE TRANSFERRED TO GREER APPROACH, I NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGES WERE READING LOW. AS I PERIODICALLY CHECKED, THE FUEL GAUGES SEEMED TO FLUCTUATE. AS WE GOT CLOSER TO LANDING, THE FUEL GAUGES SHOWED THE RIGHT TANK WAS READING MORE FUEL. AS A RESULT, I SWITCHED THE TANK SELECTOR VALVE FROM BOTH TO THE RIGHT, IN THE EFFORT TO USE THE FUEL TANK THAT INDICATED THE FUEL AVAILABLE. WHILE I HAVE PREVIOUSLY FLOWN^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN THE PAST, I HAVE NOT FLOWN THIS PARTICULAR ONE IN MANY MONTHS. DUE TO THIS AIRCRAFT BEING ONE I HAVEN’T REGULARLY FLOWN, I MADE SURE TO CONDUCT A THOROUGH PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. EVEN WITH SUCH INSPECTION, I WAS NOT AWARE WHETHER THESE FUEL GAUGES WERE READING RIGHT. MY IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE FUEL GAUGES WERE READING INCORRECTLY. APPROACH TO KGMU WAS BUSY THAT DAY WITH A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND I MAINTAINED MY ALTITUDE WITHIN TEN MILES AWAY FROM THE FIELD. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FROM KGMU STARTED VECTORING ME AND MOVED ME LEFT OUT OF THE WAY OF SOME TRAFFIC. DURING THIS PERIOD I CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED MY FUEL GAUGES. AFTER SOME MINUTES, ATC VECTORED ME BACK TO THE RIGHT TO SET ME UP FOR A RIGHT BASE FOR RUNWAY 01 AND SWITCHED ME OVER TO TOWER. I KEPT DESCENDING AND ADDED 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS, AT AROUND 3000 FEET, WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED SPUTTERING AND GOT QUIET. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO PITCH FOR GLIDE SPEED. WHILE GLIDING THE AIRCRAFT, I BELIEVE THE PROPELLER STOPPED AROUND 3 MILES FROM THE AIRFIELD. WE STARTED SINKING AND I KNEW I WOULDN’T MAKE IT TO THE RUNWAY. WHILE CONTROLLING MY PITCH, MY FRIEND AND I LOOKED FOR A FIELD TO BE ABLE TO LAND IN. I CALLED TO TOWER AND TOLD THEM I HAD A PROBLEM, HE ASKED WHAT KIND AND I SAID I MAY BE OUT OF FUEL. WHEN TOWER OFFERED THE OTHER AIRPORT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME TO LAND, THE DISTANCE WAS STILL TOO FAR AWAY. ATC ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND I SAID YES. AFTER DECLARING THE EMERGENCY, I LOOKED DOWN AND COULD SEE A SHORT FIELD TO MY LEFT ALMOST RIGHT UNDER US. I KNEW I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE THE FIELD WITHOUT HAVING TOO MUCH AIR SPEED, SO I PROCEEDED TO MAKE A WIDE LEFT TURN FOR A 180. I PROCEEDED TO GLIDE DOWN, WHILE OBSERVING THE SHORT FIELD I NOTICED THE PERIMETER OF THE FIELD WAS LINED WITH HOMES AND BUILDINGS. AS I DESCENDED TO THE FIELD, I ATTEMPTED TO CONTROL THE AIRSPEED AND KNEW I DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH FEET LEFT TO SAFELY STOP BEFORE IMPACTING OTHER STRUCTURES. TRYING TO KEEP THE WHEELS DOWN CLOSE TO THE GROUND AND DODGE OTHER PILES OF DEBRIS, I NOTICED WE WERE HEADED TOWARDS TREES DOWN THE LINE. IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID THE TREES AND STRUCTURES, I VEERED MORE LEFT INTO THE AREA OF THE DIRT AND GRASS MOUND." ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA23LA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA049), Nov 2, 2022: Cessna 172 (N65615), Greenville, SC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing was the pilot’s failure to use the checklist aboard the airplane during her… ## Other reports on N65615 (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20040727015529A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040727015529A), Jul 27, 2004: Cessna 172P (N65615), Big Bear, CA, Substantial damage. (-23) On final approach to L35'S taxiway (used as a temporary runway while the main runway was being resurfaced), the aircraft landed on the parallel service… - [Accident 19830614046699A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830614046699A), Jun 14, 1983: Cessna 172P (N65615), Latrobe, PA, Substantial damage. Lost control of aircraft on the takeoff roll while trying to close a window left open prior to takeoff. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.