- Date
- March 12, 1986, 00:16 local (05:16 UTC)
- Place
- Upper Marlboro, MD
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2780LCessna 172H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860312005979A
- Case key
- 11204
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Since the fuel gages in the acft were known not to be accurate, the plt measured the amount of fuel in each tank with a dipstick before departing. He determined that he had 18 gallons for the 2 hours of flying he planned to do and based on a fuel consumption rate of 5 gph he would have 8 gallons to spare. The acft ran out of fuel short of his destination and nosed over in a field during the ensuing landing. Using a Cessna aircraft performance chart that was in the acft, the consumption rate for the engine running at 75% power at 2500 feet MSL was 8.5 gph. The 8.5 gph does not take into account the fuel required for eng start, taxi and climb.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2780L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17255980
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles M. Gage
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 27, 1985
- Departed
- REH · Rehoboth Beach, DE
- Destination
- W32 · Clinton, MD
- Airport
- W32 · Hydefield
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
- 21
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 83 total · 58 in this make and model · 50 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ADW, 4 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 N2780L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.