- Date
- April 11, 2009, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Granger, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N756BZCessna R182
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090411006809A
- Case key
- 73632
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
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to visually verify that sufficient fuel was on board prior to flight.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was on the second leg of a cross-country flight when the airplane's engine momentarily decreased in power and then returned to normal. The pilot observed that the airplane's left fuel tank was indicating empty and the right fuel gauge was indicating less than one fourth of a tank. While attempting to return to the departure airport, the engine "sputtered" and lost all power. The pilot elected to leave the landing gear and flaps retracted while executing a forced landing in a ditch. The airplane came to rest in an upright position and the pilot and passengers exited unassisted. The airplane's fuselage and left wing sustained structural damage. A visual inspection of the airplane's fuel tanks revealed a residual amount of fuel. The pilot further reported that he did not perform a visual inspection of the airplane's fuel quantity before departure.
Factual narrative
The pilot was on the second leg of a cross-country flight when the airplane's engine momentarily decreased in power and then returned to "normal." The pilot observed that the airplane's left fuel tank was indicating empty and the right fuel gauge was indicating less then one forth a tank. While attempting to return to the departure airport, the engine "sputtered" and lost all power. The pilot elected to leave the landing gear and flaps retracted while executing a forced landing in a ditch. The airplane came to rest in an upright position and the pilot and passengers exited unassisted. The airplane's fuselage and left wing sustained structural damage. An on-site visual inspection of the airplane's fuel tanks revealed a residual amount of fuel. The pilot further reported that he did not perform a visual inspection of the airplane's fuel quantity before departure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N756BZ
- Reported as
- Cessna R182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R18201033
- Airframe hours
- 4,841
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540 SERIES, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aurora Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Aurora Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 2, 2008
- Departed
- GTU · Georgetown, TX
- Destination
- LHB · Hearne, TX
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 23, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,013 total · 9 in this make and model · 793 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.