# NTSB CHI97LA215: Cessna 182, N5820B, Chippewa Falls, WI, July 20, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 19, 1997, 20:45 local (Jul 20, 1997, 01:45 UTC) - Place: Chippewa Falls, WI - Coordinates: 44.950893, -91.149398 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.9509&lon=-91.1494&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 21, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 10633 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI97LA215 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/10633/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA215 ## Probable cause the pilot's misjudgment of the fuel supply, and subsequent fuel exhaustion. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - fuel supply - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, emergency landing - terrain condition - crop (contributing factor) ## Analysis The pilot stated that he departed for a parachute jump flight with about 25 gallons of fuel aboard the airplane. He said the flight lasted for 30 minutes. When the airplane was on the final approach to the runway, a loss of engine power occurred. The pilot made a forced landing in a corp field adjacent to the airport, and the airplane was damaged. An examination of the airplane after the accident failed to reveal any mechanical anomaly. No fuel was found remaining in the tanks. The flight (owner's) manual indicated usable and unusable fuel for various flight conditions including level flight. The power loss occurred in an approach configuration. ## Factual narrative On July 19, 1997, at 2045 central daylight time, a Cessna 182, N5820B, sustained substantial damage, during a forced landing in a field adjacent to the Wissota Airport near Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. The pilot stated that he had just conducted a parachute jump flight and was returning the airport when the airplane suffered a sustained total loss of engine power. The pilot reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file for the local flight. The local flight departed at 2015. The pilot said that he had noticed a temporary loss of engine power on a previous flight; however, that the airplane had been serviced and he had not had any indication of a power loss on the day of the accident until the final event. He said that the airplane contained a total fuel load of 25 gallons prior to the flight which lasted about 30 minutes. He indicated that on final approach the airplane suffered a sustained loss of engine power and he elected to conduct a forced landing in a crop field adjacent to the airport because he felt he could not make a landing on the runway. An inspection of the accident airplane was conducted on July 20, 1997. When the airplane was in a level condition, no fuel was found remaining in the tanks at the fuel sumps. There was some fuel found in the carburetor, fuel lines and gascolator. Thumb compression was found on all the cylinders. Spark was found on each spark plug. There was no restriction found in the fuel vent system. Carburetor controls were found to have proper operation except for the carburetor heat which received impact damage. Disassembly of the carburetor revealed that the float level was correct. The "Owner's Manual" for the accident airplane indicated fuel quantity data in gallons for each tank: 27.5 gallons usable fuel all flight conditions; 1.5 gallons additional usable fuel for level flight; 1.0 gallons unusable fuel; for a total fuel volume of 30 gallons (each tank). An appropriate page from the manual is attached to this report. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5820B](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5820B-2013-06-27), registration cancelled 2013-06-27, S/N 33820, 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: 33820 - Engines: Continental O-470-L 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 91 - Registered owner: Robert W. Stumm - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: 4WI0 ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 28; commercial, flight engineer, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, multi-engine sea, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 860 total, 104 in this make and model, 760 as pilot in command, 61 in the last 90 days, 39 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk - Wind: 70° at 9 knots - Visibility: 15 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 59 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: KEA, 9 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 19970719019019A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970719019019A), Jul 19, 1997: Cessna 182, Chippewa Falls, WI, Substantial damage. Aircraft engine lost power on approach, aborted landing due to powerlines, landed short and crashed in a field. (.4)the pilot stated that he departed for a… 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.