- Date
- June 22, 2017, 20:05 local (Jun 23, 2017, 01:05 UTC)
- Place
- Doniphan, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1800MCessna 182
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170622009569A
- Case key
- 95426
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 decision to take off with a known fuel leak, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 5
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
The private pilot reported that, near the conclusion of a long cross-country flight, the engine suddenly lost partial power. He declared an emergency with air traffic control and was advised that the nearest airport was about 5 miles behind him. He reversed course and began heading toward the airport. Unable to reach the airport, the pilot initiated a landing to an open field. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a fence and a detached garage. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed blue-colored fuel streaking from the right wing fuel cap to the trailing edge of the flap. Both fuel tanks were empty. The pilot reported that he was aware of that the right wing fuel cap was leaking before the accident flight and that it had been leaking since he purchased the airplane about 6 months before the accident.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported that near the conclusion of a long cross-country flight, the engine suddenly lost partial power. He declared an emergency with air traffic control, and was advised that the nearest airport was about 5 miles behind him. He reversed course and began heading towards the airport. Unable to reach the airport, the pilot initiated a landing to an open field. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a fence and a detached garage. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed blue colored fuel streaking from the right wing fuel cap to the trailing edge of the flap. Both fuel tanks were empty. The pilot reported that he was aware of the right wing fuel cap leak prior to the accident flight. The fuel cap had been leaking since he purchased the airplane about six months prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1800M
- Reported as
- Cessna 182 (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18264452
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 5,555
- Engine
- Continental O-470-U13B, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cape Flyers LLC.
- Registered owner
- Cape Flyers LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ILE · Killeen, TX
- Destination
- CGI · Cape Girardeau, MO
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Onboard weather
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
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 237.6 total · 109 in this make and model · 201.3 as pilot in command · 12.6 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Observed at
- KPOF, 20 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 28, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 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 N1800M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.