- Date
- July 30, 2011, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Dandrige, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5813BCessna 182
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 22, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110730014339A
- Case key
- 81293
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 loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of poor planning.
Findings · 2
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
The pilot stated that he fueled the airplane for two flights with skydivers and thirty minutes of reserve fuel. He further stated that during the second approach he had to adjust his intended flight path for other airplane traffic. Then, as the pilot decreased the pitch of the airplane on final approach, the engine sputtered and lost power. The pilot landed the airplane in a field; however, during the landing roll the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing spar. The pilot reported that the airplane experienced fuel starvation and that he did not maintain the required reserve. The pilot indicated that more fuel would have been his recommendation to avoid this accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he fueled the airplane for two flights with skydivers and thirty minutes of reserve fuel. He further stated that on the second approach he had to adjust his intended flight path for other airplane traffic. Then, as the pilot decreased the pitch of the airplane on final approach, the engine "sputtered" and lost power. The pilot landed the airplane in a field; however, during the landing roll the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing spar. The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that the airplane had experienced fuel starvation and that he did not maintain the required reserve. The pilot indicated that more fuel would have been his recommendation to avoid this accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5813B
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 33813
- Airframe hours
- 7,218
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 Series, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 12, 2011
- Departed
- 86TN · Dandrige, TN
- Destination
- 86TN · Dandrige, TN
- Airport
- 86TN · Dumplin Field Airport, runway 23, 3,100 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 6, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 91 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KTYS, 24 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.
Other investigations on N5813B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.