- Date
- June 3, 2010, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Humble, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N154JDCessna 180
- Defining event
- Approach: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20100603036079A
- Case key
- 76212
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 inadequate fuel management.
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
The private pilot said that he departed with approximately 55 gallons of fuel on board (about 3.5 hours total) and departed on a long cross country flight. Approximately three hours into the flight, while on an ILS approach into his destination airport in VFR conditions, the pilot said the engine suddenly stopped, but the propeller continued to windmill. He pumped the throttle, and finally pushed it pushed full forward, but there was still no thrust. He checked the engine guages and they were normal, but he did not look at the fuel guages. A witness heard the engine sputtering as it flew overhead. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and attempted to reach a field, but ended up colliding with the roof of a private residence. The airplane came to rest in the residence's backyard. The pilot reported not seeing any fuel leaks or streaks when he got out of the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed there was no fuel in either wing tank, and there was no staining of the grass or foliage surrounding the airplane. When the airplane wing's were removed for salvage, less than one-pint of fuel was drained from the fuel lines.
Factual narrative
The private pilot said he departed with approximately 55 gallons of fuel on board (about 3.5 hours total) and departed on a long cross country flight. Approximately three hours and 30 minutes into the flight, while on an ILS approach into his destination airport in VFR conditions, the pilot said the engine suddenly stopped but the propeller continued to windmill. He pumped the throttle, and finally pushed it full forward, but there was still no thrust. He checked the engine guages and they were normal, but he did not look at the fuel guages. A witness heard the engine sputtering as it flew overhead. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and attempted to reach a field, but ended up colliding with the roof of a private residence. The airplane came to rest in the residence's backyard. The pilot reported not seeing any fuel leaks or streaks when he got out of the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed there was no fuel in either wing tank, and there was no staining of the grass or foliage surrounding the airplane. When the airplane wing's were removed for salvage, less than one-pint of fuel was drained from the fuel lines.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N154JD
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30942
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Eastland Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Eastland Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ODO · Odessa, TX
- Destination
- IAH · Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- None · None
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 2,015 total · 106 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 2, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.