- Date
- May 5, 2011, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Farmersville, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N46400Cessna 172K
- Defining event
- Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110505007969A
- Case key
- 79046
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 starvation as a result of the pilot's improper 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
Approximately 2 hours after departure on an aerial pipeline patrol flight, the pilot turned on the fuel transfer pump, which transfers fuel from the auxiliary baggage fuel tank to the airplane’s right wing fuel tank. The pilot reported that this was his routine and that it would take about two hours to transfer the fuel from the auxiliary tank to the wing fuel tank. The pilot added that, almost 4 hours after departure, the engine sputtered; he rocked the wings and noticed that the fuel transfer pump appeared to be off. He then started the fuel transfer again. The fuel transfer light came on; however, the airplane was too low to wait for the fuel to move to the wing fuel tank and then to the engine. So the pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a field. The airplane collided with several tree branches before impacting the ground and flipping over. During the forced landing the airplane sustained substantial damage to its right wing, aft fuselage, and top of the vertical stabilizer. The pilot also stated that sometime after he started the initial transfer of fuel the transfer pump apparently turned off and he did not notice.
Factual narrative
Approximately 2-hours after departure on an aerial pipeline patrol flight, the pilot turned on the fuel transfer pump, which transfers fuel from the auxiliary baggage fuel tank to the airplane’s right wing fuel tank. The pilot reported that this was his standard routine, and that it would take about two hours to transfer the fuel from the auxiliary tank to the wing fuel tank. The pilot added that almost 4-hours after departure, the engine “sputtered”; he rocked the wings and noticed that the fuel transfer pump appeared off. He then started the fuel transfer again. The fuel transfer light came on; however, the airplane was too low to wait for the fuel to move to the wing fuel tank and then to the engine. So the pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a field. The airplane collided with several tree branches before impacting the ground and flipping over on to its back. During the forced landing the airplane sustained substantial damage to its right wing, aft fuselage, and top of the vertical stabilizer. The pilot also stated that some time after starting the initial transfer of fuel, the transfer pump apparently turned off, and he didn’t notice it. In the section, Recommendation (How could this accident have been prevented?) on the NTSB pilot/operator aircraft accident/incident report form, the pilot stated that moving the auxiliary fuel gauge and indicator light to the instrument panel; or a fuel flow meter on the instrument panel, would aid the pilot in noticing if the fuel transfer pump was on or fuel was actually transferring from the auxiliary fuel tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46400
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17257241
- Airframe hours
- 15,000
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-360 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Texas Aerial Inspections LLC
- Registered owner
- Texas Aerial Inspections LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2010
- Departed
- KCPT · Cleburne, TX
- Destination
- 52F · Roanoke, TX
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 26, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,341 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 7,869 as pilot in command · 220 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KTKI, 15 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 3, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.