# NTSB DEN03LA088: Cessna 175B, N8199T, Cedar City, UT, May 23, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 23, 2003, 15:10 local (21:10 UTC) - Place: Cedar City, UT - Coordinates: 37.590988, -113.189872 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.5910&lon=-113.1899&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 30, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 57066 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN03LA088 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/57066/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA088 ## Probable cause the pilot's inadvertently switching the fuel selector to the right tank, resulting in fuel starvation, and his failure to maintain direction control during the forced landing. Contributing factors were the crosswind and the tree. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, descent - normal - fuel tank selector position - inadvertent deactivation, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - starvation (contributing factor) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - On ground/water collision with object, landing - roll - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - object - tree(s) (contributing factor) ## Analysis The pilot was en route to attend his grandson's graduation. The pilot made an en route stop and the airplane was refueled to capacity. Forty-five minutes after departure, the pilot encountered "light to moderate turbulence with strong updrafts." He moved his flight bag, which had been on the right front seat, and placed it on the cabin floor behind his seat. He did not realize that the bag's shoulder strap had slid between the seats and was wrapped around the fuel selector handle. When he moved the bag, he inadvertently moved the selector handle from BOTH to the RIGHT tank position. With his destination in sight, the pilot initiated a slow descent. Approximately 3 to 4 miles north of the airport, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to move the fuel selector to another tank, but the shoulder pad was securely wedged under the handle. Unable to extend the glide because of low altitude, he notified the airport of his intentions and made a forced landing on a dirt road. As the airplane came over a slight rise in the road that dropped off abruptly, it became airborne again. A left crosswind caused the airplane to drift off the right side of the road and it struck a cedar tree. ## Factual narrative On May 23, 2003, approximately 1510 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 175B, N8199T, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when it struck a tree during a forced landing following loss of engine power approximately 10 miles northwest of Cedar City, Utah, Municipal Airport. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated in Winnemucca, Nevada, at 1150 Pacific daylight time The pilot said the purpose of the flight was to attend his grandson's graduation in Canon City, Colorado. According to his accident report, he obtained a weather briefing from FSS (flight service station) and filed a VFR (visual flight rules) flight plan to Winnemuca. He departed Newburg, Oregon, at 0530 Pacific daylight time, and arrived at Winnemuca at 1130. While the airplane was being refueled, he obtained another weather briefing from FSS. He departed Winnemuca at 1215 with 5 hours of fuel on board. Approximately 45 minutes into the flight, he encountered "light to moderate turbulence with strong updrafts." He moved his flight bag, which had been on the right front seat, and placed it on the cabin floor behind his seat. He did not realize that the bag's shoulder strap had slid between the seats and was wrapped around the fuel selector handle. When he moved the bag, he inadvertently moved the selector handle from BOTH to the RIGHT tank position. After being aloft for 3-1/2 hours, he had Cedar City in sight and initiated a slow descent. Approximately 3 to 4 miles north of the airport, the engine lost power. He attempted to move the fuel selector to another tank, but the shoulder pad was securely wedged under the handle. Unable to extend the glide because of low altitude, he notified the airport of his intentions and made a forced landing on a dirt road. As the airplane came over a slight rise in the road that dropped off abruptly, and it became airborne again. A left crosswind caused the airplane to drift off the right side of the road and it struck a cedar tree. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8199T](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8199T-2005-07-29), registration cancelled 2005-07-29, S/N 17556899, built 1960 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 175B - Registry model: [Cessna 175B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-175b) (registry code 2072506) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental GO-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-go-300-series) (registry code 17024, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17556899 - Airframe hours: 1340 - Engines: Continental GO-300-D 175 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 22, 2003, 6 hours before - Departed: WMC, Winnemucca, NV - Destination: CDC, Cedar City, UT ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, invalid medical for flight; last flight review May 22, 2003; seat: left; flight hours: 604 total, 67 in this make and model, 570 as pilot in command, 12 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 130° at 12 knots, gusting 19 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 30.10 inHg - Observed at: CDC ## 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 20030523009169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030523009169A), May 23, 2003: Cessna 175B, Cedar City, UT, Destroyed. (-23) The pilot states he was on a cross country flight from winnemucca, NV to Cedar City, UT. He further states that enroute to Cedar City he took a flight… 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.