# NTSB ANC01LA063: Cessna 180, N9311T, Fairbanks, AK, June 2, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 1, 2001, 17:00 local (Jun 2, 2001, 01:00 UTC) - Place: Fairbanks, AK - Coordinates: 64.783332, -148.551666 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.7833&lon=-148.5517&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 4 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 21, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 53195 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC01LA063 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/53195/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC01LA063 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to refuel the airplane, his inadequate preflight planning/decision making, and subsequent fuel exhaustion during cruise flight. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - refueling - not performed, pilot in command (cause) - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - In flight collision with object, emergency descent/landing - object - tree(s) ## Analysis The certificated commercial pilot, with three passengers aboard, departed from a remote lake in a float-equipped, single engine airplane. While in level, cruise flight, the engine began to run rough, and lose power. Emergency procedures restored partial engine power momentarily, followed by a complete loss of engine power. The airplane collided with trees during a subsequent forced landing, and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. An FAA inspector examined the airplane and reported that both fuel tanks were empty. The pilot reported that the fuel gauges installed in his airplane would consistently provide an inaccurate fuel quantity reading. He added that prior to departure, he visually checked the quantity of fuel in the wing fuel tanks by using a fuel measuring device, but later added that the fuel level reading may have been in error due to the airplane's attitude while moored. ## Factual narrative On June 1, 2001, about 1700 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped Cessna 180 airplane, N9311T, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing about 20 miles west of Fairbanks, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The certificated commercial pilot, and the three passengers aboard, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1630, from a remote lake located about 15 miles north of Nenana, Alaska, and was en route to Fairbanks. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge on June 1, the pilot reported that while in level, cruise flight, the engine began to run rough, and lose power. He said that after performing emergency procedures, he was able to restore partial engine power momentarily, followed by a complete loss of engine power. The airplane collided with trees during a subsequent forced landing, and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector from the Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office, traveled to the accident scene on June 4, and examined the airplane. The inspector reported the airplane's fuel system, including both wing fuel tanks, were intact and were not breached. He reported that both fuel tanks were empty, and added that the total amount drained from the airplane's gascolator was about 5 ounces. Examination of the fuel from the gascolator revealed it was clean and bright, and did not contain any visible contaminants. In the Pilot/Operator report (NTSB form 6120.1/2) filed by the pilot on June 16, he reported that the fuel gauges installed in his airplane would consistently provide an inaccurate fuel quantity reading. He added that prior to departure, he visually checked the quantity of fuel in the wing fuel tanks by using a fuel measuring device. He wrote, in part: "This procedure indicated that I had 18 gallons of 100LL, in retrospect this reading may have been in error due to the unknown attitude of the aircraft, as the act of getting out on the wing may have tipped the wing in that direction or attitude of the floatplane in the water caused the indication of more fuel than there actually was." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9311T](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9311T), registered now, S/N 50811, built 1960 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 180 - Registry model: [Cessna 180C](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180c) (registry code 2072608) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 5081 - Airframe hours: 5349.1 - Engines: Continental O-470-L 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Donald D. Kirk - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 2001, 10.5 hours before - Departed: ENN, Nenana, AK - Destination: AK28, Fairbanks, AK ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review June 28, 1999; seat: left; flight hours: 1,920 total, 1,411 in this make and model, 1,846 as pilot in command, 11 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 240° at 8 knots - Visibility: 100 statute miles - Temperature: 64 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010601010999A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010601010999A), Jun 1, 2001: Cessna 180C, Faribanks, AK, No damage. (-23)On a personal flight from iksgiza lake to fai, pilot reported that his engine lost power. Pilto landed safely with substantail damage to the aircraft in… ## Other investigations on N9311T (2) 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 DEN84LA182](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN84LA182), Jun 16, 1984: Cessna 180C (N9311T), Lustre, MT, substantial damage - [NTSB UNK65X1413](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/UNK65X1413), Feb 10, 1965: Cessna 180 (N9311T), Leeville, LA, substantial damage 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. --- 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.