- Date
- May 5, 1992, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Jacksonville, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5127ECessna 180B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920505013539A
- Case key
- 8598
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 failure to ensure an adequate supply of fuel for the planned flight; which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A factor was the high vegetation in the forced landing field.
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 that the airplane was being flown to another field, about 40 miles away, for repairs to the left wing fuel tank. He said he was burning the fuel from that tank for the repairs to be done. En route the tank ran dry & he switched to the right tank. He also stated that impending weather forced him to abort the flight, so he was returning to the departure airport. While on a 2 mile final approach to the runway, the engine quit. A forced landing was made in a field with tall wheat & the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. 20 minutes elapsed between the pilot's stated take off & landing times. Inspection of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector was on the right tank. All of the fuel was then drained from the airplane. The following fuel quantities were drained: 1.5 gallons from the right tank, one quart from the left tank, two ounces from the gascolator. Fuel was replaced in the airplane & the engine operated normally. Unusable fuel specified for the airplane is 10 gallons.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5127E
- Reported as
- Cessna 180B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 50427
- Airframe hours
- 2,110
- Engine
- Continental O-470-K, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Anderson, James L.
- Registered owner
- Anderson, James L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 14, 1991 · 34 hours before
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
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 649 total · 29 in this make and model · 604 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NCA, 12 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.
Other investigations on N5127E · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.