# NTSB GAA17CA367: Cessna 182, N524BF, San Martin, CA, June 25, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 24, 2017, 17:15 local (Jun 25, 2017, 00:15 UTC) - Place: San Martin, CA - Coordinates: 37.087223, -121.599166 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0872&lon=-121.5992&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-descent: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed, report September 7, 2017 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: General Aviation Accidents - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 95440 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=GAA17CA367 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/95440/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95440 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA367 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to attain a proper glidepath on approach for landing, which resulted in an impact with a guard rail and post. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to ensure that sufficient fuel was onboard for nonlevel flight, which resulted in fuel starvation. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182A, 18 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072704), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide path](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182A, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md?model=2072704), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182A, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2072704), [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 182A, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=2072704), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: fence/fence post](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022047): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Cessna 182A, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022047/cases.md?model=2072704), [All aircraft, 313 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022047/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-descent: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 182A, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=2072704), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Landing area undershoot](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/370); cases with it: [Cessna 182A, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/370/sequence.md?model=2072704), [All aircraft, 201 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/370/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 182A, 34 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072704), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he departed for a parachute jump flight with 12 gallons of fuel onboard. He added that, after the parachute jumpers exited the airplane about 10,500 ft mean sea level (msl), he initiated a left spiraling descent back to the airport. He further added that he "heard and felt the engine start [to] quiet down as if it was shutting down." He then began to make right descending turns and verified that the fuel selector was in the "both" position. He added that the cylinder head temperature was decreasing, so he switched back to left descending turns and that the "fuel starvation due to banking happened two more times." The pilot reported that he entered left downwind about 4,000 ft msl, pushed the throttle and mixture controls full forward, and determined that the "engine wasn't producing much power." He added that, during short final, he realized the airplane was too low, so he landed the airplane on a highway "on-ramp." During the forced landing, the airplane impacted a guard rail and a post. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that he "suspected engine power loss due to fuel exhaustion." During a postaccident examination, the Federal Aviation Administration inspector drained about 12 gallons of fuel from both wing tanks and the gascolator. In the Description section of the Cessna 182A Owner's Manual, it states that there are 1.5 gallons of unusable fuel per fuel tank (3 gallons) and that, when not in level flight, there are an additional 3.5 gallons of unusable fuel per fuel tank (10 gallons). ## Factual narrative The pilot reported that he departed for a parachute jump flight with 12 gallons of fuel. He added that after the parachute jumpers exited the airplane about 10,500 ft. mean sea level (MSL), he initiated a left spiraling descent back to the airport. He further added that he "heard and felt the engine start [to] quiet down as if it was shutting down". He then began to make right descending turns and verified that the fuel selector was in the "both" position. He added that the cylinder head temperature was decreasing, so he switched back to left descending turns and the "fuel starvation due to banking happened two more times". The pilot reported that he entered left downwind about 4,000 ft. MSL, pushed the throttle and mixture controls full forward, and determined that the "engine wasn't producing much power". He added that during short final he realized the airplane was too low, so he landed the airplane on a highway "on-ramp". During the forced landing, the airplane impacted a guard rail and a post. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that he "suspected engine power loss due to fuel exhaustion". During a postaccident examination, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector drained about 12 gallons of fuel from both wing tanks and the gascolator. In the Description section of the Cessna 182A Owner's Manual, it states that there are 1.5 gallons of unusable fuel per fuel tank (3 gallons) and that there are an additional 3.5 gallons of unusable fuel per fuel tank (10 gallons) when not in level flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N524BF](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N524BF-2019-03-09), registration cancelled 2019-03-09, S/N 34331, built 1957 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 182 (A) - Registry model: [Cessna 182A](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182a) (registry code 2072704) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 34331 - Year built: 1957 - Engines: CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Skydiving, Part 91 - Operator: San Jose Skydiving Center - Registered owner: Thinking Cap Aviation LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: E16, SAN MARTIN, CA - Destination: E16, San Martin, CA - Airport: E16, San Martin - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 30; injuries: minor; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 14, 2017; seat: single; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 434 total, 78 in this make and model, 334 as pilot in command, 78 in the last 90 days, 38 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 59 °F - Altimeter: 29.92 inHg - Observed at: KE16 ## 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 20170625021559A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170625021559A), Jun 25, 2017: Cessna 182A, San Martin, CA, Destroyed. Skydiving aircraft went up, dropped parachute jumpers safely, and then had fuel/engine issues on the way back down. Aircraft crashed short of runway 14 on an… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 15, 2017, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95440. 7.0 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40455261&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - FAA Fuel Statement (item 2, .PDF, 104 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40455262&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Fuel%20Statement-Master.PDF - Cessna 182A Owner's Manual Excerpt (item 3, .PDF, 3.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40455263&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Cessna%20182A%20Owner%27s%20Manual%20Excerpt-Master.PDF - Accident Photo (item 4, .PDF, 1 photo, 117 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40455264&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Photo-Master.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.