# NTSB CEN24LA210: Cessna 182, N5755B, Gypsum, CO, June 5, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: June 4, 2024, 20:12 local (Jun 5, 2024, 02:12 UTC) - Place: Gypsum, CO · Mountainous Terrain - Coordinates: 39.688969, -106.92878 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.6890&lon=-106.9288&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - Denver FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 194400 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN24LA210 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194400/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194400 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA210 ## Probable cause The failure of the flight instructor and the pilot to visually confirm the airplane’s fuel quantity during preflight, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and an off-airport forced landing in rough terrain. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2072702), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Inadequate inspection (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2072702), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=2072702), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=2072702), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) - [Terrain: rough terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015/cases.md?model=2072702), [All aircraft, 442 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 182, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=2072702), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 182, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2072702), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092); cases with it: [Cessna 182, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=2072702), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor and the pilot were conducting an instructional flight when the airplane had a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. The airplane fuselage sustained substantial damage during the forced landing in rough terrain. The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane operator reported that the fuel tanks remained intact after the accident, were void of usable fuel, and both fuel tank quantity gauges indicated empty. Before the flight, the flight instructor asked another flight instructor to request the fixed based operator (FBO) to refuel the airplane. However, despite the fuel request being relayed to the FBO front desk personnel, the airplane was not fueled before it departed on the flight. The flight instructor and the pilot both admitted that they did not visually confirm the fuel quantity during their preflight inspection. Additionally, believing that the fuel tanks were topped-off as requested, the pilots erroneously reset the airplane’s electronic fuel totalizer to reflect a full fuel load before takeoff. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5755B](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5755B-2024-11-09), registration cancelled 2024-11-09, S/N 33755, built 1956 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 182 - Registry model: [Cessna 182](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182) (registry code 2072702) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 33755 - Year built: 1956 - Airframe hours: 8136 - Engines: Continental O-470-S 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Alpine Flight Training - Registered owner: iTechnology Design Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, June 3, 2024, 10 hours before - Departed: EGE, Eagle, CO - Destination: EGE, Eagle, CO - Equipment: Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 24; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review February 4, 2024; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 459 total, 25 in this make and model, 392 as pilot in command, 171 in the last 90 days, 85 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Pilot; age 32; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review November 29, 2023; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 156 total, 63 in this make and model, 78 as pilot in command, 54 in the last 90 days, 25 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 280° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 30.11 inHg - Observed at: EGE, 2 nm away - METAR: KEGE 050156Z AUTO 28008KT 10SM CLR 23/03 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP102 T02280028 PNO $ ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20240604007919A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240604007919A), Jun 4, 2024: Cessna 182, Gypsum, CO, Substantial damage. On June 04, 2024, an instrument instruction flight took place from kege-sbs-cag-hdn-ege. The flight resulted in a forced landing approximately fifteen miles… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194400. 6.7 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 4.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18155535&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01%20-%20NTSB%206120_1_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Statement (flight instructor) (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 52 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18155061&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=02%20-%20Statement%20(Flight%20Instructor)-Rel.pdf - Statement (pilot) (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 94 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18155961&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=03%20-%20Statement%20(Pilot)-Rel.pdf - Statement (fuel request) (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 33 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18155545&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=04%20-%20Statement%20(Fuel%20Request)_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation (loren french) (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 83 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18154939&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=05%20-%20Record%20of%20Conversation%20(Loren%20French)-Rel.pdf - Investigation photographs (item 6, PDF, 6 pages, 5 photos, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18156049&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=06%20-%20Investigation%20Photographs-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.