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Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 170B · Shelbyville, TX · February 4, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 4, 2025 · 18:10 local
Place
Shelbyville, TX
Airport
Center Municipal
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2345V
Reported as
Cessna 170B
Reported engine
Continental C145 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
N2345VRegistered now · Cessna 170BS/N 25056Airframe modelCessna 170BEngine modelContinental C145 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.

During a ferry flight instructor pilot failed to properly calculated fuel burn resulting in the aircraft running out of fuel short of their final destination. When the aircraft's engine began to sputter and lose power the instructor pilot conducted an offsite landing in a field with no injuries and no damage to aircraft. The pic/instructor contacted a friend who is an A&P and asked if they could refuel the aircraft with automotive gasoline. They agreed that the aircraft could be refueled using automotive gas and the aircraft was refueled. However, the aircraft did not have an STC for auto gas. He stated he completed a runup and attempt to takeoff. The aircraft failed to become airborne, and the takeoff was aborted. He repositioned the aircraft to a road on another part of the field and attempted a second takeoff. Again, the aircraft failed to become airborne. The take off was aborted, however, the aircraft rolled down a hill where the right-wing tip and propellor impacted the ground. On both take-off attempts he had a passenger on the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

DURING A FERRY FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PILOT FAILED TO PROPERLY CALCULATED FUEL BURN RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT RUNNING OUT OF FUEL SHORT OF THEIR FINAL DESTINATION. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND LOSE POWER THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT CONDUCTED AN OFFSITE LANDING IN A FIELD WITH NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT. THE PIC/INSTRUCTOR CONTACTED A FRIEND WHO IS AN A&P AND ASKED IF THEY COULD REFUEL THE AIRCRAFT WITH AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE. THEY AGREED THAT THE AIRCRAFT COULD BE REFUELED USING AUTOMOTIVE GAS AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS REFUELED. HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE AN STC FOR AUTO GAS. HE STATED HE COMPLETED A RUNUP AND ATTEMPT TO TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO BECOME AIRBORNE, AND THE TAKEOFF WAS ABORTED. HE REPOSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT TO A ROAD ON ANOTHER PART OF THE FIELD AND ATTEMPTED A SECOND TAKEOFF. AGAIN, THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO BECOME AIRBORNE. THE TAKE OFF WAS ABORTED, HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED DOWN A HILL WHERE THE RIGHT-WING TIP AND PROPELLOR IMPACTED THE GROUND. ON BOTH TAKE-OFF ATTEMPTS HE HAD A PASSENGER ON THE AIRCRAFT.