- Date
- March 12, 2003, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- England, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N30461Cessna 177A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20030312004729A
- Case key
- 56619
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 failure to refuel the airplane while searching for a private grass airstrip, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The flight originated with each of the wing fuel tanks 3/4 full of fuel. When the flight neared the destination the pilot was unable to locate the airstrip, circled the area for one hour, ran low on fuel, and executed a precautionary landing to a farm field. The pilot obtained 5 gallons of fuel, was provided directions to the destination airstrip, and departed. The pilot stated that he again was unable to locate the airstrip, and approximately 35 minutes later the engine lost complete power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a road, during which the airplane contacted trees and a ditch.
Factual narrative
On March 12, 2003, at 1600 central standard time, a Cessna 177A single-engine airplane, N30461, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a complete loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion near England, Arkansas. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. The private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from the Hope Municipal Airport (M18), Hope, Arkansas, at 1200 and was destined for a private grass airstrip near Sherrill, Arkansas.
According to the pilot, who had owned the airplane for one week, when he departed M18 both wing fuel tanks were each 3/4 full of fuel. When the flight neared Sherrill he was unable to locate the airstrip, circled the area for one hour, ran low on fuel, and executed a precautionary landing to a farm field. The pilot obtained 5 gallons of fuel, was provided directions to the destination airstrip, and departed. The pilot stated that he again was unable to locate the airstrip, and approximately 35 minutes later the engine lost complete power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a road, during which the airplane contacted trees and a ditch.
According to an FAA inspector, who examined the airplane, the left wing attaching points were damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30461
- Reported as
- Cessna 177A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701269
- Airframe hours
- 1,990
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Vernon Lee Murphy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2002 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- M18 · Hope, AR
- Destination
- NONE · Sherrill, AR
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- PBF, 10 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.