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20240523005479I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172G · Rison, AR · May 23, 2024

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 23, 2024 · 17:45 local
Place
Rison, AR
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N3671L
Reported as
Cessna 172G
Reported engine
Continental 0-300 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
335 total200 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N3671LRegistered now · Cessna 172GS/N 17253840 · Built 1965Airframe modelCessna 172GEngine 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.

On may 23, 2024, Cessna 172G, was flying VFR from houston southwest airport kaxh to pine bluff regional airport/grider field kpbf. The pilot, a commercial pilot with a flight instructor certificate, stated that they were flying at 2,000 feet MSL which was below the overcast layer at 3,500 feet and below their planned altitude of 5,500 when he noticed about ½ way to kpbf that the left fuel gauge was lower than the right fuel gauge so he moved the fuel selector to the right tank about 30-40 minutes later the engine started to lose RPM then subsequently quit. The airmen tried carburetor heat and it appeared to fix it for a second then the engine quit. The airmen thought he had run out of fuel and landed in an open field. The airmen had a successful off airport landing with no apparent damage to the aircraft and no injuries to either the pilot or passenger. During the investigation it was noted that the left fuel gauge was showing empty, and the right gauge was showing about 3/8 of a tank. Upon measuring fuel, there was approximately 1.5” of fuel in each tank and later drained by the recovery team to be about 3 gallons on each side which would be approximately 45 mins of cruise fuel. The aircraft was also run up prior to recovery and it ran well. Based on the weather, statements from the airmen and the fuel status it would appear that the engine may have failed due to carburetor ice.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 23, 2024, CESSNA 172G, WAS FLYING VFR FROM HOUSTON SOUTHWEST AIRPORT KAXH TO PINE BLUFF REGIONAL AIRPORT/GRIDER FIELD KPBF. THE PILOT, A COMMERCIAL PILOT WITH A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATE, STATED THAT THEY WERE FLYING AT 2,000 FEET MSL WHICH WAS BELOW THE OVERCAST LAYER AT 3,500 FEET AND BELOW THEIR PLANNED ALTITUDE OF 5,500 WHEN HE NOTICED ABOUT ½ WAY TO KPBF THAT THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE WAS LOWER THAN THE RIGHT FUEL GAUGE SO HE MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE RIGHT TANK ABOUT 30-40 MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE STARTED TO LOSE RPM THEN SUBSEQUENTLY QUIT. THE AIRMEN TRIED CARBURETOR HEAT AND IT APPEARED TO FIX IT FOR A SECOND THEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRMEN THOUGHT HE HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL AND LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE AIRMEN HAD A SUCCESSFUL OFF AIRPORT LANDING WITH NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND NO INJURIES TO EITHER THE PILOT OR PASSENGER. DURING THE INVESTIGATION IT WAS NOTED THAT THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE WAS SHOWING EMPTY, AND THE RIGHT GAUGE WAS SHOWING ABOUT 3/8 OF A TANK. UPON MEASURING FUEL, THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1.5” OF FUEL IN EACH TANK AND LATER DRAINED BY THE RECOVERY TEAM TO BE ABOUT 3 GALLONS ON EACH SIDE WHICH WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 45 MINS OF CRUISE FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALSO RUN UP PRIOR TO RECOVERY AND IT RAN WELL. BASED ON THE WEATHER, STATEMENTS FROM THE AIRMEN AND THE FUEL STATUS IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE ENGINE MAY HAVE FAILED DUE TO CARBURETOR ICE.