- Date
- September 21, 2013, 08:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Middletown Springs, VT
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3152YCessna 182E
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130921018179A
- Case key
- 88106
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 pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 3
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 airplane departed from a private airport that did not have fuel available for purchase. The pilot reported that he elected to refuel while en route to his destination instead of other airports located near the departure airport. The pilot further reported that upon reaching the airport that he intended to refuel at, he found it was closed and diverted to another airport. At that time, he noticed that the airplane's fuel gauge needles were "bouncing off empty." The airplane subsequently experienced a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and forward portion of the fuselage. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane and had he received a full weather briefing prior to the flight, he would have known about the closed airport and planned accordingly.
Factual narrative
The flight departed from a private airport that did not have fuel available for purchase. The pilot reported that he elected to refuel while en route to his destination instead of other airports located near the departure airport. The pilot further reported that upon reaching the airport that he intended to refuel at, he found it was closed and diverted to another airport. At that time, he noticed that the airplane's fuel gauge needles were "bouncing off empty." The airplane subsequently experienced a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and forward portion of the fuselage. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane and had he received a full weather briefing prior to the flight, he would have known about the closed airport and planned accordingly.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3152Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 182E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18254152
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 6,308
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 2, 2013 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- VT26 · South Hero, VT
- Destination
- GFL · Glens Falls, NY
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
- 65
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 3, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,654 total · 2,852 in this make and model · 53 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 126 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- RUT, 20 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 19, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 830 KB 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.