# NTSB ANC07LA045: Cessna 177, N2845X, Centreville, AL, June 7, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 7, 2007, 06:05 local (11:05 UTC) - Place: Centreville, AL - Coordinates: 32.940555, -87.086387 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.9406&lon=-87.0864&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 29, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA FSDO SO-09 - NTSB case key (mKey): 65960 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC07LA045 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65960/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC07LA045 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to refuel the airplane prior to fuel exhaustion, which resulted in a loss of engine power and substantial damage during a forced landing on a road. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - normal - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - refueling - not performed, pilot in command (cause) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - In flight collision with object, emergency descent/landing - object - tree(s) ## Analysis The commercial certificated pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot told an FAA inspector that the fuel gauges read between one-quarter and empty prior to the accident flight. The engine lost power in cruise flight, and during a forced landing on a dirt road, the airplane impacted trees. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical anomalies, and that during the accident the airplane received damage to the wings, horizontal stabilizer, and fuselage. In a written report, the pilot noted that due to the small amount of fuel found at the accident site, he believed fuel exhaustion was the cause of the accident. ## Factual narrative On June 7, 2007, about 0605 central daylight time, a Cessna 177 airplane, N2845X, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees during an emergency landing on a dirt road, about 15 miles southwest of the Bibb County Airport, Centreville, Alabama. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo commercial certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane departed Centreville about 0600. In a written statement to the NTSB dated June 17, the pilot wrote that during the preflight inspection both fuel tank gauges indicated between one-quarter full and empty. He reported that he felt there was sufficient fuel for the 15 minute flight to the Marion Airport, Marion, Alabama. He wrote that about 8 minutes into the flight the engine lost all power, and he made an emergency landing on a dirt road. During the landing the wings, fuselage, and horizontal stabilizer received substantial damage. In the report, the pilot noted that based on the small amount of fuel found at the [accident] site, he believed fuel exhaustion was the cause of the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2845X](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2845X-2007-10-31), registration cancelled 2007-10-31, S/N 17700245, built 1967 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 177 - Registry model: [Cessna 177](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-177) (registry code 2073704) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17700245 - Airframe hours: 3989 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Walter Williams - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 1, 2007 - Departed: 0A8, Centreville, AL - Destination: A08, Marion, AL ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 76; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review April 1, 2007; seat: left; flight hours: 10,352 total, 4,920 in this make and model, 8,112 as pilot in command, 60 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 0 knots - Visibility: 5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °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 20070607009899A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070607009899A), Jun 7, 2007: Cessna 177, Marion, AL, Substantial damage. (-23) During a repositioning flight from centerville, AL (O8A) to Marion, AL (AO8), engine lost power and pilot attempted an emergency landing on a dirt road,… 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.