# NTSB ERA22LA406: Cessna 177B, N35243, Ivanhoe, NC, September 5, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: September 5, 2022, 15:55 local (19:55 UTC) - Place: Ivanhoe, NC · Corn field - Coordinates: 34.5845, -78.2419 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.5845&lon=-78.2419&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious - 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): 105902 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA22LA406 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/105902/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105902 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA406 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate preflight and inflight planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 177B, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2073708), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 177B, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=2073708), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Planning/preparation: weather planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061020): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 177B, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061020/cases.md?model=2073708), [All aircraft, 156 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 177B, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=2073708), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was returning from a cross-country flight and planned to stop for fuel along the way; however, due to deteriorating weather conditions along his route of flight, he was unable to stop. The pilot then became distracted trying to avoid weather when the airplane’s engine lost power. The pilot further described that, “We should have landed at the nearest clear airport but got fixated on dodging rain clouds causing time consuming maneuvers to go around the storms into headwinds and unaware of fuel reserves.” He subsequently performed a forced landing to a field and struck a ditch resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane’s intact fuel tanks revealed they were empty of useable fuel. Given this information, it is likely that during the unplanned deviations around weather, the airplane’s usable fuel supply was exhausted, which resulted in the total loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N35243](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N35243-2023-06-17), registration cancelled 2023-06-17, S/N 17702287, built 1975 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 177B - Registry model: [Cessna 177B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-177b) (registry code 2073708) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17702287 - Year built: 1975 - Airframe hours: 4172.4 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1F6D 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 1, 2022, 8.1 hours before - Departed: FFA, Kill Devil Hills, NC - Destination: EYF, Elizabethtown, NC - Equipment: ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 73; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: basicmed; last flight review October 3, 2021; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 339 total, 113 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 160° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 30.02 inHg - Observed at: KEYF, 17 nm away - METAR: METAR KEYF 051955Z AUTO 16008KT 10SM SCT045 31/20 A3002 ## 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 20220905020259A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220905020259A), Sep 5, 2022: Cessna 177B, Ivanhoe, NC, Substantial damage. Pilot briefed himself on weather. Conditions worsened, pilot concentrated on flying around tstorms and flew longer than anticipated causing him to run lower on… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 27, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105902. 790 KB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 393 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14634777&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14634644&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Statement-Rel.pdf - Investigation photos (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 2 photos, 347 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14634566&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photos-Rel.pdf 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.