- Date
- July 1, 1993, 20:15 local (Jul 2, 1993, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lampasas, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2446UCessna 172D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930701022079A
- Case key
- 18784
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
Fuel exhaustion engine power loss due to an inadequate preflight preparation. A 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
A pilot decided to take his airplane for a short flight in the local area knowing that he had not refueled since his last two flights totalling approximately three hours. Approximately five minutes into the flight, the pilot experienced a loss of engine power. The surface winds were blowing at 13 knots and the pilot elected to execute the forced landing into the wind, in a small clearing surrounded by trees. The pilot's preflight was limited to checking the fuel gages on the airplane
Factual narrative
On July 1, 1993, at approximately 2015 central daylight time, a Cessna 172D, N2446U, was substantially damaged upon impact with trees and the ground following a loss of engine power while in cruise flight near Lampasas, Texas. The private pilot and his passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.
According to the pilot, he decided to take the airplane for a short flight in the local area knowing that he had not refueled since his last two flight totalling approximately three hours. The pilot added that about five minutes into the flight, a partial loss of engine power was experienced and he proceeded to bank the airplane to the left to head towards an open field, when the engine lost all power. He further stated that due to the strong surface winds he elected to turn the airplane into the wind to execute the forced landing. The airplane landed in a small field and ran into trees.
The pilot stated that his preflight of the fuel system was limited to checking the fuel level on the airplane's fuel gauges. Post accident examination of the fuel cells by the pilot revealed that fuel in either fuel cell was between half a gallon, to a gallon of fuel.
Damage to the airplane included a damaged right wing spar, a collapsed nose wheel, a buckled engine firewall, and a destroyed right wing aileron.
The airplane was released to the owner at the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2446U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172250046
- Airframe hours
- 3,954
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bowden, Glenna F.
- Registered owner
- Bowden, Glenna F.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1993 · 8 hours before
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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 110 in this make and model · 2,800 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRK, 25 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.