- Date
- November 8, 2014, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Landrum, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3339TCessna 177
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 27, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- FAA report
- 20141108021899A
- Case key
- 90379
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 improper 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
According to the pilot, while enroute on a cross country flight the engine began to "sputter" before experiencing a total loss of power. The pilot declared an emergency and performed a forced landing on a dirt road, resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The pilot reported that his fuel calculation requirements for the flight were incorrect, and as a result of his miscalculation, the airplane ran out of fuel.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, while enroute on a cross country flight the engine began to "sputter" before experiencing a total loss of power. The pilot declared an emergency and performed a forced landing on a dirt road, resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The pilot reported that his fuel calculation requirements for the flight were incorrect, and as a result of his miscalculation, the airplane ran out of fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3339T
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700639
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 3,434
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hayford David P
- Registered owner
- Hayford David P
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 26, 2013
- Departed
- VLL · Troy, MI
- Destination
- GMU · Greenville, SC
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 352 total · 336 in this make and model · 298 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- GMU, 13 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 9, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.1 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.
Other investigations on N3339T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.