- Date
- September 4, 2005, 18:57 local (23:57 UTC)
- Place
- Haleyville, AL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5320RCessna 172F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Birmingham FSD)-09
- FAA report
- 20050904020019A
- Case key
- 62385
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilots inadequate preflight of the fuel tank resulting in a total loss of engine power in cruise flight due to fuel exhaustion, resulting in a forced landing, and nose over on landing roll out.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated during the preflight inspection that the left and right fuel gauge indicated a quarter tank of fuel. The pilot did not visually check the fuel tank or stick the fuel tank before departing on the flight. While in cruise flight at 1,500 feet MSL, the engine sputtered and lost. The pilot stated he looked at the left and right fuel gauge and they both indicated empty. The pilot made a forced landing to an open field and the airplane collided with a burrow and flipped over. The pilot stated, "there were not a mechanical malfunction, he simply failed to ensure he had sufficient fuel on the airplane during the preflight inspection."
Factual narrative
On September 4, 2005, at 1857 central daylight time, a Cessna 172F, N5320R, registered to and operated by a private owner, as a 14 CFR Part 91 visual flight, nosed over during a forced landing in a field near Haleyville, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and a visual flight plan was not filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the private pilot was not injured. The flight departed Posey Field, Haleyville, Alabama, on September 4, 2005, at 1842.
The pilot stated during the preflight inspection that the left and right fuel gauge indicated a quarter tank of fuel. The pilot did not visually check the fuel tank or stick the fuel tank before departing on the flight. While in cruise flight at 1,500 feet MSL, the engine sputtered and lost. The pilot stated he looked at the left and right fuel gauge and they both indicated empty. The pilot made a forced landing to an open field and the airplane collided with a burrow and flipped over. The pilot stated, there were not a mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5320R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17252844
- Airframe hours
- 4,209
- Engine
- Continental O-300D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Harold H. Bearden
- Registered owner
- Harold H. Bearden
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2005 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- 1M4 · Haleyville, AL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 200 in this make and model · 3,500 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- MSL, 27 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.