# NTSB DEN01LA004: Cessna 172N, N738CW, Jensen, UT, October 15, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 14, 2000, 19:02 local (Oct 15, 2000, 01:02 UTC) - Place: Jensen, UT - Coordinates: 40.469089, -109.260925 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4691&lon=-109.2609&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 26, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 50471 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN01LA004 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/50471/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN01LA004 ## Probable cause an undershoot due to misjudging distance/altitude during an emergency landing. Factors were: inadequate preflight, failure to refuel, fuel exhaustion, operating with an inoperative fuel gauge, and failure to attain a proper glide path during approach. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, maneuvering - engine instruments,fuel quantity gage - inoperative - operation with known deficiencies in equipment - performed, pilot in command (contributing factor) - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) - refueling - not performed, pilot in command (contributing factor) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (contributing factor) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - short runway/landing area - proper glidepath - not attained, pilot in command (contributing factor) - Undershoot, emergency landing - terrain condition - open field - distance/altitude - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis While on a round robin cross-country flight, the engine lost all power and the pilot attempted to make an emergency landing on a 1,800 foot long private airstrip. The approach was high and fast and the pilot attempted to turn the aircraft around and land in the opposite direction. He ended up landing hard, on rough terrain, about 200 feet short of the runway. Examination of the aircraft following the accident revealed the only fuel remaining was unusable fuel in each tank. The pilot said he did not physically check the fuel quantity prior to departure and that one of the two fuel gauges was inoperative. ## Factual narrative On October 14, 2000, at 1902 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N738CW, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing in a field near a private airstrip at Jensen, Utah, following a complete loss of power. The private pilot in command received serious injuries, one passenger received minor injuries and the other passenger no injuries. The flight was operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight was a "round robin," which originated from Vernal, Utah, at 1830. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, he failed to visually confirm the amount of fuel on board the aircraft during what he described as a rushed preflight. The right fuel gauge read between 1/4 and 1/2 (between 7 and 11 gallons) and the left fuel tank gauge was inoperative, which the pilot knew. The flight was to be to Rangely, Colorado, and return to Vernal, a distance of approximately 145 miles. When in the vicinity of Jensen, the engine lost all power and the pilot attempted to land on a private (1,800 foot long) private airstrip. On his approach, he provided information that he was high and fast and he attempted to return to the opposite end of the runway for landing. In that attempt, he said he was short of the runway by about 200 feet and ended up stalling the aircraft and impacting hard. Damage to the aircraft consisted of crush damage to the nose section including the engine and firewall, forward belly, and the right cockpit area. In addition, the outer portions of both wings and the tail cone were bent and buckled. The Utah state policeman, who was first on scene, stated that he could find no evidence of fuel in either fuel tank, and the aircraft owner said only a few drops of fuel came from the carburetor at the accident site. Both fuel tanks remained intact and the fuel fittings were intact and undamaged. Residual (unusable) fuel of about 1.5 gallons was found in each tank during recovery of the aircraft. According to the aircraft information manual, on a standard day at 8,000 feet above mean sea level (msl) the engine will burn approximately 8 gallons per hour in cruise flight at 2,600 rpm engine speed. The actual fuel quantity on board when the flight started is unknown. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N738CW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N738CW-2008-01-30), registration cancelled 2008-01-30, S/N 17269881, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172N - Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17269881 - Airframe hours: 6330 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-H2AD 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: William D. Hatcher - Registered owner: John A. Gardner - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 1, 2000, 192 hours before - Departed: VEL ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 36; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 151 total, 71 in this make and model, 106 as pilot in command, 55 in the last 90 days, 19 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 50° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 118 °F, dew point 93 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: VEL, 15 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 20001014015039A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001014015039A), Oct 14, 2000: Cessna 172N, Jensen, UT, No damage. (-23) Cross country sight seeing flight. Pilot admitted not determining visually how much fuel was on board a/c prior to departure. A/c was determined to have… 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.