- Date
- May 30, 2009, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2872XCessna 177
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20090530009149A
- Case key
- 73936
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 total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning.
Findings · 2
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
According to a telephone conversation with the pilot, prior to departure he had "four inches of fuel on his fuel stick" which equated to eight gallons of fuel on his fuel reference chart. He intended to fly for thirty minutes. At the time of the accident the pilot estimated that he had thirty minutes or four gallons of fuel remaining. He was cleared for landing when the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. During the forced landing the airplane struck a telephone pole resulting in substantial damage to the right wing; the wing spar and ribs were bent. An examination of both fuel tanks, conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration, revealed less than a quart of fuel. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies. According to the fuel consumption charts located in the pilot operating handbook for a Cessna 177, the flight as planned would have required between six and eight gallons of fuel. According to the handbook, there is one gallon of unusable fuel in this airplane.
Factual narrative
According to a telephone conversation with the pilot, prior to departure he had "four inches of fuel on his fuel stick" which equated to eight gallons of fuel on his fuel reference chart. He intended to fly for thirty minutes. At the time of the accident the pilot estimated that he had thirty minutes or four gallons of fuel remaining. He was cleared for landing when the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. During the forced landing the airplane struck a telephone pole, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing; the wing spar and ribs were bent. An examination of both fuel tanks, conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration, revealed less than a quart of fuel. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies. According to the fuel consumption charts located in the pilot operating handbook for a Cessna 177, the flight as planned would have required between six and eight gallons of fuel. According to the handbook, there is one gallon of unusable fuel in this airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2872X
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700272
- Airframe hours
- 1,956
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2009
- Departed
- TE88 · Rosharon, TX
- Destination
- DWH · Tomball, 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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 79 total · 64 in this make and model · 47 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KDWH, 1 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 16, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.