# NTSB ERA21LA380: Cessna 177, N912VW, Ayer, MA, September 11, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: September 11, 2021, 13:35 local (17:35 UTC) - Place: Ayer, MA · Parking lot - Coordinates: 42.56, -71.550556 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5600&lon=-71.5506&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA / FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 103971 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA21LA380 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103971/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA380 ## Probable cause The pilot’ improper preflight and inflight planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Knowledge: knowledge of equipment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032015): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Pilot; cases with it: [Cessna 177, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032015/cases.md?model=2073704), [All aircraft, 69 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032015/cases.md) - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 177, 12 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=2073704), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 177, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=2073704), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot; cases with it: [Cessna 177, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=2073704), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 177, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2073704), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 177, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=2073704), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Cessna 177, 14 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2073704), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Cessna 177, 14 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2073704), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 177, 17 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2073704), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200); cases with it: [Cessna 177, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md?model=2073704), [All aircraft, 618 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md) ## Analysis After concluding a visit with a family member, the pilot conducted a preflight of his airplane and departed for his home airport which was 1-hour away and planned to stop for fuel enroute. During the preflight he noticed that he had about 9 gallons of gasoline in the left-wing fuel tank, and none in the right-wing fuel tank so he decided to fly with the fuel selector in the left wing fuel tank position instead of in the “BOTH ON” position as specified for takeoff in the owner’s manual. While at 2,800 feet above mean sea level, when he was about 6.7 miles from his chosen enroute fueling location, the airplane’s engine began to sputter and then incurred a complete loss of power. The pilot then made an off-airport emergency landing in a parking lot, and during the landing roll, the airplane struck a 4- to 5-foot-high pile of debris at the edge of the parking lot. Examination of the airplane revealed that it was substantially damaged, and there was no usable fuel present in either the left- or right-wing fuel tank, or the firewall mounted fuel strainer. During the investigation it was revealed that the pilot had passed up three other airports during the flight as the gas was 20 cents per gallon cheaper at his chosen fuel stop. It was also further revealed that, the pilot would deduce his fuel burn by rules of thumb using one single fuel burn number, rather than using the published cruise and range performance that was in the owner’s manual, and that he was using a fuel dipstick during preflight from another airplane model that was not calibrated for his airplane model, to help determine the amount of fuel in his fuel tanks. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N912VW](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N912VW), registered now, S/N 17700859, built 1968 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 177 (B) - Registry model: [Cessna 177](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-177) (registry code 2073704) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17700859 - Year built: 1968 - Airframe hours: 2545.9 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-E2D 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Annual, December 15, 2020, 25 hours before - Departed: NH86, Henniker, NH - Destination: 6B6, Stow, MA - Equipment: Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic multifunction display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 68; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: basicmed, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 10, 2020; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 625 total, 94 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.10 inHg - Observed at: FIT, 8 nm away ## 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 20210911014079A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210911014079A), Sep 11, 2021: Cessna 177, Ayer, MA, Substantial damage. On Saturday, September 11, 2021, N912VW, a Cessna 177, departed henniker, new hampshire (NH86) for a final destination of cranland airport (28M) with a planned… 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.