- Date
- July 14, 2010, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Thayer, IN
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9797HCessna 182R
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-SBN-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100714038669A
- Case key
- 76642
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 failure to visually check the fuel supply prior to takeoff.
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 when checking the fuel gauges he noted that they were indicating more fuel than should have been on board. He asked airport personnel for a ladder so he could visually check the fuel level, but then he became distracted and forgot to visually check the fuel. After approximately 1 hour 30 minutes of flight the engine lost power. The pilot selected a field in which to land; however, the airplane contacted irrigation equipment during the landing flare. Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were intact but empty. Both wings and the firewall were substantially damaged.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that when checking the fuel gauges he noted that they were indicating more fuel than should have been on board. He asked airport personnel for a ladder so he could visually check the fuel level, but then he became distracted and forgot to visually check the fuel. After approximately 1 hour 30 minutes of flight the engine lost power. The pilot selected a field in which to land; however, the airplane contacted irrigation equipment during the landing flare. Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were intact but empty. Both wings and the firewall were substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9797H
- Reported as
- Cessna 182R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18268031
- Airframe hours
- 5,678
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D187, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wilson Gordon N
- Registered owner
- Wilson Gordon N
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 29, 2009 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- I69 · Batavia, OH
- Destination
- C56 · Monee, IL
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
- 73
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 9, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,865 total · 1,621 in this make and model · 1,865 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- GYY, 32 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 12, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 991 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.