- Date
- February 11, 2014, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Belen, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N300EMCessna 182J
- Defining event
- Enroute-climb to cruise: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20140211003639A
- Case key
- 89003
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 failure to ensure adequate fuel onboard for the intended flight.
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
Shortly after takeoff the airplane experienced an engine failure. The pilot made an off airport landing and struck a pole, substantially damaging the left wing. The pilot obtained assistance from personnel at the airport, who delivered approximately 20 gallons of fuel to the scene and helped the pilot move the airplane to a nearby road. The pilot subsequently took off from the road and flew to a different airport about eight miles away from the departure point. Approximately 14 gallons of fuel was drained from the airplane after landing. The airplane was subsequently refueled and flown back to the departure airport. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with an engine failure due to fuel starvation.
Factual narrative
Shortly after takeoff the airplane experienced an engine failure. The pilot made an off airport landing and struck a pole, substantially damaging the left wing. The pilot obtained assistance from personnel at the airport, who delivered approximately 20 gallons of fuel to the scene and helped the pilot move the airplane to a nearby road. The pilot subsequently took off from the road and flew to a different airport about eight miles away from the departure point. Approximately 14 gallons of fuel was drained from the airplane after landing. The airplane was subsequently refueled and flown back to the departure airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N300EM
- Reported as
- Cessna 182J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18257529
- Built
- 1966
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Driving Success Inc
- Registered owner
- Driving Success Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- E80 · Belen, NM
- Airport
- E80 · Alexander Muni
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 40 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- E80
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.