# NTSB CHI04LA120: Cessna 188B, N188SA, Pleasant Hill, MO, May 15, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 15, 2004, 17:45 local (22:45 UTC) - Place: Pleasant Hill, MO - Coordinates: 38.608333, -94.347778 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.6083&lon=-94.3478&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed, report December 3, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 59258 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI04LA120 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/59258/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04LA120 ## Probable cause Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's improper fuel calculations. Contributing factors to the accident included the inaccurate fuel gage and the trees. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, cruise - fuel consumption calculations - improper, pilot in command (cause) - fuel system - exhaustion (cause) - fuel system,fuel quantity float/sensor - inaccurate (contributing factor) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - object - tree(s) (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis The airplane was on a positioning flight when it sustained substantial damage on impact with trees during a forced landing after a loss of engine power in cruise flight. The pilot reported that he had finished spraying the last field at 1715 and the left fuel gage showed 1/2 tank (14 gallons) of fuel remaining and the right tank was dry. The pilot reported the airplane consumed about 14 gallons of fuel per hour, and that he thought he had about 45-60 minutes of fuel remaining when he departed the field. The pilot reported that the engine quit while in cruise flight, and he excuted a forced landing and impacted trees at approximately 1745. The fuel system was inspected during the recovery of the airplane. The right fuel tank was dry. The left wing tank had a ruptured fuel line. The inspection revealed there was no fuel found from the fuel line to the engine driven fuel pump. No fuel was found from the engine driven fuel pump to the mixing valve/fuel control. No fuel was found in the line from the fuel control to the fuel distributor/spider. ## Factual narrative On May 15, 2004, at 1745 central daylight time, a Cessna 188B, N188SA, operated by 1 Low Flyer Inc., sustained substantial damage on impact with trees during a forced landing after a loss of engine power in cruise flight. The commercial pilot received minor injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flight departed at 1700 from a private airstrip near Liberty, Missouri, where it had been conducting aerial spraying, and was en route to Lawrence Smith Memorial Airport (LRY), Harrisonville, Missouri. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that he had finished spraying the last field at 1715 and the left fuel gage showed 1/2 tank of fuel remaining. He reported that he headed south for Harrisonville, Missouri. He flew over Lee's Summit Airport, Lee's Summit, Missouri, and the Aries power plant near Pleasant Hill, Missouri. He reported, "I noticed no power from [the] engine and began looking for a place to land. [The] engine was windmilling. I was out of altitude. I heard the airplane hit the trees." During a telephone interview, the pilot reported that the right tank was dry when he departed the field for Harrisonville, and the left gage indicated 1/2 tank of fuel, or about 14 gallons of fuel. He reported the airplane burned about 14 gph and that he had about 45-60 minutes of fuel remaining. He reported, "Appears I ran out of gas. I should have had one hour of fuel by the gas gage." The fuel system was inspected during the recovery of the airplane. The right fuel tank was dry. The left wing tank had a ruptured fuel line. The inspection revealed there was no fuel found from the fuel line to the engine driven fuel pump. No fuel was found from the engine driven fuel pump to the mixing valve/fuel control. No fuel was found in the line from the fuel control to the fuel distributor/spider. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N188SA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N188SA-2012-03-14), registration cancelled 2012-03-14, S/N 18800867, built 1972 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 188B - Registry model: [Cessna 188B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-188b) (registry code 2073007) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18800867 - Engines: Continental IO-520 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Registered owner: 1 Low Flyer Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, March 30, 2004 - Departed: Liberty, MO - Destination: LRY, Harrisonville, MO ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 46; injuries: minor; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: center; flight hours: 1,743 total, 1,200 in this make and model, 1,575 as pilot in command, 18 in the last 90 days, 13 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 130° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 30.17 inHg - Observed at: LXT, 12 nm away ## 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 20040515012249A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040515012249A), May 15, 2004: Cessna 188B, Harrisonville, MO, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot departed libery, Missouri, area after completing aerial application and was enroute to the lawrence smith memorial airport (lry) in Harrisonville,… 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.