# NTSB LAX07CA111: Cessna 182, N6462A, Diamond Lake, OR, March 17, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: March 16, 2007, 22:10 local (Mar 17, 2007, 05:10 UTC) - Place: Diamond Lake, OR - Coordinates: 43.087501, -122.468887 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.0875&lon=-122.4689&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report May 29, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 65449 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX07CA111 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65449/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX07CA111 ## Probable cause Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and failure to verify the fuel supply. A factor was the night lighting condition. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, climb - to cruise - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - fuel supply - not verified, pilot in command (cause) - Forced landing, emergency landing - light condition - night (contributing factor) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - mountainous/hilly ## Analysis While en route on a night cross-county flight, the engine quit due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot made a forced landing on a mountain slope. The pilot received a phone call earlier that his sister had been admitted to the hospital with a medical condition. The pilot decided that he would fly that night to the city where his sister was hospitalized. The pilot performed a preflight inspection but failed to fuel the airplane. He took off at 2100. Shortly after reaching his cruising altitude of 12,500 feet he realized that he had not fueled the airplane. Upon checking the fuel gauges determined that the fuel tanks were empty. He radioed the tower at his destination airport that he was out of fuel and anticipated a forced landing in the mountains. The engine then quit and he turned the airplane to the southeast to try to land on a small Forest Service mountain runway. He could see the ground and mountainous terrain getting closer, determined that he would not make it to the runway, and proceeded to force land the airplane on a steep snow covered slope. ## Factual narrative The pilot received a phone call around 1900 that his sister had been admitted to the hospital with a medical condition. The pilot decided that he would fly from his location, Klamath Falls, Oregon, to where his sister was in Eugene, Oregon. The pilot performed a preflight inspection but failed to fuel the airplane. He took off from Klamath Falls at 2100. Shortly after reaching his cruising altitude of 12,500 feet he realized that he had not fueled the airplane and upon checking the fuel gauges determined that the fuel tanks were empty. He radioed Eugene airport tower that he was out of gas and anticipating a forced landing in the mountains. The engine stopped and he turned the airplane to the southeast to try to make a small Forest Service runway at Tokettee. He could see the ground and mountainous terrain getting closer, he determined that he would not make it, and proceeded to force land the airplane on a steep snow covered slope. The pilot had survival equipment onboard that included blankets, food, satellite phone, flares, and a handheld VHF radio. He had hurt his leg and ribs during the landing, but was able to exit the airplane, set up a shelter, and sporadically contact his wife with the satellite phone. The Civil Air Patrol spotted the pilot's flare marker around 0330, and a National Guard helicopter affected the rescue about 0805. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6462A](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6462A-2010-01-22), registration cancelled 2010-01-22, S/N 33262, built 1956 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 182 - Registry model: [Cessna 182](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182) (registry code 2072702) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 33262 - Airframe hours: 3000 - Engines: Teledyne Continental O-470-L reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Marshall J. Alexander - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 1, 2006 - Departed: KLMT, Klamath Falls, OR - Destination: KEUG, Eugene, OR - Airport: KLMT, Klamath Falls ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 56; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2; flight hours: 715 total, 493 in this make and model, 647 as pilot in command, 16 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none ## 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 20070316003119A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070316003119A), Mar 16, 2007: Cessna 182, Diamond Lake, OR, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot received communication of sibling suffering medical emergency at eugene medical center, eugene, OR. He decided to utilize his aircraft, N6462A, to… ## Other investigations on N6462A (1) 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. - [NTSB SEA67D0074](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA67D0074), Jun 12, 1966: Cessna 182 (N6462A), Frenchglen, OR, substantial damage 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.