# Accident 20230531014089A: Cessna 180, New Cumberland, PA, May 31, 2023 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 31, 2023, 14:35 local time - Place: New Cumberland, PA - Airport: Capital City - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 40.2114° N, 76.8761° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2114&lon=-76.8761&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3178D, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3178D) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 180 (registry code 2072602, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 180 - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 31,000 total, 250 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA23FA252](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA252) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230531014089A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON MAY 31, 2023, AT 1435 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 180 WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN OFF-AIRPORT ACCIDENT IN NEW CUMBERLAND, PA. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE SOLE PASSENGER WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE PIC DEPARTED FARMERS PRIDE AIRPORT (9N7) ON A THREE LEG VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WITH FULL STOP LANDINGS COMPLETED AT BROKENSTRAW AIRPORT (P15) AND AN UNCHARTED PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR ROWLESBURG, WV (39°19’29”N, 79°39’34”W) BEFORE A PLANNED RETURN TO 9N7. AFTER A BRIEF STOP AT EACH LOCATION, THE PIC DEPARTED THE UNCHARTED AIRSTRIP ON THE RETURN LEG TO 9N7. VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICES WERE PROVIDED BY HARRISBURG APPROACH CONTROL (MDT). APPROXIMATELY 30 NAUTICAL MILES FROM 9N7, THE PIC ADVISED MDT APPROACH CONTROL OF HIS INTENT TO DIVERT TO THE CAPITAL CITY AIRPORT (CXY). IN A LATER INTERVIEW WITH THE PIC, HE STATED THE DIVERSION TO CXY WAS TO OBTAIN FUEL BEFORE PROCEEDING TO 9N7. APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES FROM CXY, THE PIC ADVISED MDT APPROACH CONTROL HE WAS “HAVING AN ENGINE FAILURE” AND REQUESTED A STRAIGHT-IN LANDING AT CXY. SEVERAL WITNESSES BELOW THE AIRCRAFT’S FLIGHT PATH DESCRIBED THE ENGINE NOISE AS ERRATIC, SPUTTERING, AND CUTTING IN AND OUT. THE PIC PERFORMED EMERGENCY PROCEDURE STEPS FOR AN ENGINE FAILURE BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE PIC DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. MDT APPROACH CONTROL ADVISED THE PIC TO EXPECT A STRAIGHT-IN LANDING FOR RUNWAY 08 AT CXY AND ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT CXY CONTROL TOWER. CXY CONTROL TOWER ISSUED A CLEARANCE TO LAND ON RUNWAY 08. THE AIRCRAFT, UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY .9 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 08. AFTER INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT FLEW ANOTHER 280’ BEFORE IMPACTING A UTILITY VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE 76 WESTBOUND EXIT RAMP. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN APPROXIMATE 15 DEGREES RIGHT WING DOWN POSITION AGAINST THE UTILITY VEHICLE WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL AND INSTRUMENT PANEL. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A POST-ACCIDENT FIRE. THE UTILITY VEHICLE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; THE DRIVER (SOLE OCCUPANT) WAS UNINJURED. THE AIRCRAFT HAS A PLACARDED USABLE FUEL CAPACITY OF 55 GALLONS (27.5 IN EACH WING TANK). THE FUEL BURN RATE, AS STATED IN THE PILOTS OPERATING HANDBOOK (POH) IS 13.5 GALLONS PER HOUR (GPH) AT 75% POWER. RECORDED FLIGHT TIME ON LEG ONE AND LEG TWO WAS 1.3 HOURS AND 1.4 HOURS RESPECTIVELY. THE FLIGHT TIME FOR LEG THREE PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS 1.2 HOURS, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 3.9 HOURS FOR ALL THREE LEGS. THE COMBINED 3.9 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME REQUIRED APPROXIMATELY 52.65 GALLONS OF FUEL, NOT INCLUDING ADDITIONAL FUEL CONSUMED DURING THE CLIMB TO CRUISE ALTITUDE AT EACH DEPARTURE LOCATION. THE PIC FUELED THE AIRCRAFT AT 9N7 PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE PIC DID NOT REFUEL AT P15 AND FUEL WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE PRIVATE AIRSTRIP. A POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMED. THE EXAMINATION CONFIRMED FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY FROM THE FLIGHT CONTROLS TO ALL THE FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES. THE ENGINE WAS MINIMALLY DAMAGED AND REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT FOR FURTHER TESTING AT A LATER DATE. THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM WAS INTACT FROM THE WING TANKS TO THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE IN THE COCKPIT. PRIOR TO REMOVING THE WINGS FOR RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE FUEL TANKS WERE DRAINED. ONE (1) PINT OF FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. NO FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS FOUND IN THE LEFT TANK POSITION AND DETERMINED TO BE UNMOVABLE DUE TO ACCIDENT-RELATED DAMAGE. SELECTION OF THE LEFT TANK ISOLATED THE RIGHT TANK FROM POST-ACCIDENT LEAKAGE, INDICATING THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED ONE (1) PINT OF FUEL AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ## 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 ERA23FA252](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA252), May 31, 2023: Cessna 180 (N3178D), Harrisburg, PA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent collision with terrain… ## Other reports on N3178D (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19730121001329A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19730121001329A), Jan 21, 1973: Cessna 180 (N3178D), Gillette, WY, Substantial damage 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.