- Date
- July 29, 2009, 21:38 local (Jul 30, 2009, 02:38 UTC)
- Place
- River Falls, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N989DMCessna A185F
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090729048559A
- Case key
- 74405
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 not checking the security of the fuel caps prior to flight leading to fuel exhaustion and the subsequent non-mechanical loss of engine power during descent.
Findings · 3
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 had the airplane fueled and then departed on a cross country flight. The airplane lost engine power during descent. The airplane sustained substantial damage when it impacted high vegetation during the forced landing. The pilot stated that he did not check the fuel tank caps before the flight. The fuel tanks did not contain fuel and fuel caps were not in-place on-scene. The airplane's preflight inspection checklist indicate that both fuel tank caps are to be checked for security.
Factual narrative
The pilot had the airplane fueled and then departed on a cross country flight. The pilot reported that the airplane lost engine power during descent to the destination airport. An off-airport landing was performed and substantial damage occurred when the airplane impacted high vegetation. The pilot stated that he did not check the fuel tank caps before the flight. The fuel tanks did not contain fuel and fuel caps were not in-place on-scene. The Cessna 185, Skywagon, owner's manual contained a preflight inspection checklist. That inspection checklist, in part, stated: 4 f. Visually check fuel quantity; then check [the right fuel tank’s] fuel filler cap secure and vent unobstructed. ... 6 a. Visually check fuel quantity; then check [the left fuel tank’s] fuel filler cap secure and vent unobstructed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N989DM
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502721
- Airframe hours
- 6,700
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2009
- Departed
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
- Destination
- SGS · South St Paul, MN
- Airport
- SGS · South St Paul Municipal Arpt
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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,575 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 1,535 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- STP
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 661 KB 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.