- Date
- July 24, 2011, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Americus, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N30214Cessna 177
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110724015809A
- Case key
- 81213
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The CFI and pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), he and the pilot departed the airport for a local, personal flight. While returning to the airport, the engine surged and then lost power. The CFI assumed control of the airplane and selected a suitable landing area for a forced landing. During the landing, after clearing a 50-foot-tall tree line, the right wing and nose wheel impacted the ground resulting in substantial damage to the wing spar and firewall. A postaccident examination revealed that both fuel tanks were empty. The CFI reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane and that he did not perform a preflight of the airplane prior to the flight nor did he check the fuel level.
Factual narrative
According to the Certificated Flight instructor (CFI), he and the pilot departed the airport for a local personal flight. While returning to the airport, the engine surged and then shutdown. The pilot stated "we're out of gas" and the CFI assumed control of the airplane. After clearing an approximate 50-foot-high tree line, he felt the landing area was a little smaller than he wished. During the landing sequence, the right wing and nose wheel impacted the ground resulting in substantial damage to the wing spar and firewall. The CFI reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane and that he did not perform a preflight of the airplane prior to the flight nor did he check the fuel level. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector that responded to the accident reported that the fuel tanks were empty and that there was no sign of fuel around the accident location.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30214
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701125
- Airframe hours
- 3,222
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 12, 2011
- Departed
- ACJ · Americus, GA
- Destination
- ACJ · Americus, GA
- Airport
- ACJ · Jimmy Carter Regional Airport
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 31, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 14,649 total · 154 in this make and model · 14,632 as pilot in command · 83 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- February 20, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 175 total · 20 in this make and model · 100 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- ACJ, 5 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.