- Date
- March 31, 2011, 07:47 local (12:47 UTC)
- Place
- Humnoke, AR
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N52605Cessna 182P
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110331005049A
- Case key
- 78723
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's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
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 pilot and two passengers were en route to their destination when the airplane's engine surged. According to the pilot, he applied carburetor heat and engine power was restored. The engine surged again followed by a total loss of engine power. He said that he was unable to restart the engine so he performed a forced landing to a highway. The airplane landed hard, the nose landing gear and left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded to a stop. Substantial crushing damage was sustained to the airplane's left wing and firewall. An examination of the airplane and engine by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed approximately one gallon of fuel present in the wings. In addition, only a small amount of fuel was found in the gascolator and carburetor.
Factual narrative
The pilot and two passengers were en route to their destination airport when the airplane's engine surged. According to the pilot, he applied carburetor heat and engine power was restored. The engine surged again followed by a total loss of engine power. He added that he was unable to restart the engine. The pilot made a forced landing on a highway. The airplane landed hard, the nose landing gear and left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded to a stop. Substantial crushing damage was sustained to the airplane's left wing and firewall. An examination of the airplane and engine by responding Federal Aviation Administration inspectors revealed approximately one gallon of fuel remaining in the wings. In addition, only a small amount of fuel was found in the gascolator and carburetor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52605
- Reported as
- Cessna 182P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18262703
- Airframe hours
- 3,752
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Schroeder Brian K
- Registered owner
- Schroeder Brian K
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 24, 2011 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- SGT · Stuttgart Muni, AR
- Destination
- PBF · Pine Bluff, AR
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 17, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 406 total · 239 in this make and model · 345 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- SGT, 10 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 604 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.