- Date
- April 8, 1989, 13:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Barnwell, SC
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7504VCessna 177RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890408009839A
- Case key
- 8015
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 pilot's poor in-flight planning/decision in continuing flight to the destination airport without refueling which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Unfavorable winds and inadequate fuel consumption calculations were contributing factors.
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 reported he was at 4000 feet in cruise when the engine lost power. The aircraft landed in an open field flipping over after the nose wheel dug into soft dirt. Two factors present were strong winds aloft and inaccurate fuel indicating system. The right float when at the bottom of the tank showed two needle width of fuel remaining. The pilot allowed one tank to go empty and relied on the right tank indication of less then one quarter full. The aircraft had been enroute for 4 hours and 22 minutes and was 78 statute miles from destination. The pilot did not maintain adequate fuel to complete the flight with an IFR reserve with the fuel indicated. The pilot had planned for a 4 hour flight with 5.5 hours of fuel on board.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7504V
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG-0803
- Airframe hours
- 2,479
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Erdy, J. Walter
- Registered owner
- Erdy, Walter J
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 11, 1988 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- OSU · Columbus, OH
- Destination
- SAV · Savannah, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BNL
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 788 total · 298 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 20 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 30 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.