- Date
- July 31, 2009, 10:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Watertown, SD
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2131GCessna 182A
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090731048899A
- Case key
- 74513
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 a fuel tank leak. Contributing to the accident was the reported malfunction of the fuel gauge.
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 reported that he had his fuel tanks filled and that he checked them during his preflight prior to departure on a cross country flight. He experienced a loss of engine power about 3.25 hours into the flight and performed a forced landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage when the airplane impacted a "hidden gully." The pilot reported, "At the time of the engine failure, the right tank was registering slightly over 1/2 full." According to the pilot the left wing had a stain from gasoline "that had not been there prior to takeoff."
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he had his fuel tanks filled and that he checked them during his preflight prior to departure on a cross country flight. He experienced a loss of engine power about 3.25 hours into the flight and performed a forced landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage when the airplane impacted a "hidden gully." The pilot reported, "At the time of the engine failure, the right tank was registering slightly over 1/2 full." According to the pilot the left wing had a stain from gasoline "that had not been there prior to takeoff."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2131G
- Reported as
- Cessna 182A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 51431
- Airframe hours
- 3,563.44
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 3, 2009
- Departed
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
- Destination
- POY · Powell, WY
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 14, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,144 total · 500 in this make and model · 42 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- ATY
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 857 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.
Other investigations on N2131G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.