- Date
- November 26, 1991, 14:01 local (21:01 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1986XCessna 182H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911126061999A
- Case key
- 27514
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 due to the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, her failure to ensure that an adequate fuel supply was onboard and her decision not to refuel the aircraft prior to departure. Factors in the accident were: 1) the inoperative left fuel gage; 2) the failure of the operator management to adequately maintain the aircraft and 3) the pilot's decision to operate the aircraft with known deficiencies in the required equipment.
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 pilot said that prior to departure at el paso she visually looked in each fuel tank and estimated they were two thirds full. She did not physically measure the fuel quantity. The left fuel gage was known to be inoperative by the pilot. On a two mile final approach to Tucson the engine began to sputter. The pilot switched fuel tanks and the engine quit. The aircraft collided with rough terrain during the subsequent forced landing attempt in a desert area east of the Tucson airport. The aircraft was examined by FAA inspectors. The left fuel tank was completely dry and the right tank contained only residual fuel. Fuel system continuity was established. The FAA inspectors reported that the operator knew about the inoperative fuel gage prior to this flight but did not repair it during the last maintenance period. An operative fuel quantity indicating system is required by regulation for flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1986X
- Reported as
- Cessna 182H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18256086
- Engine
- Continental O-470-U, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Snoopy'S Flight School
- Registered owner
- Woodstock Flyers
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- ELP · El Paso, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- TUS · Tucson International, runway 29, 10,994 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 623 total · 73 in this make and model · 594 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 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.
Other investigations on N1986X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.