- Date
- May 6, 2001, 15:55 local (19:55 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Pierce, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8664UCessna 172F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 52202
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
a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion which resulted in a forced landing, and subsequent impact with a sign and a ditch.
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 added 10 gallons of fuel at Key West. He was told that the airplane burned 8 gallons of fuel per hour by senior members of his flying club. After 2 hours 40 minutes of flight the engine quit. He executed an emergency landing on a road and clipped a street sign with the wing. The airplane then went into a ditch, about 3 miles south of his intended landing airport. No fuel was found in the airplane's fuel tanks and no leaks were found. The pilot reported that he had a total 106 flight hours in all aircraft, and 48.8 hours in this make and model aircraft.
Factual narrative
On May 6, 2001, about 1555 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172F, N8664U, registered to 908 Flying Club, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, lost power, and the pilot attempted a forced landing on a road, near Fort Pierce, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A VFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private rated-pilot, and one passenger reported no injuries. The flight had departed from Key West International Airport, Florida, at 1320.
The pilot told NTSB and FAA investigators that he added 10 gallons of fuel at Key West. He was told that the airplane burned 8 gallons of fuel per hour. According to the pilot's statement, "...fuel burn information was determined by senior members of 908 Flying Club. After 2 hours 40 minutes of flight the engine quite. I executed an emergency landing on the road and clipped a street sign with the wing. The plan spun into ditch." He said he ran out of gas about 3 miles south of his intended landing airport. No fuel was found in the airplane's fuel tanks and no leaks were found.
According to the FAA inspector's statement, "...when the police arrived they...checked the fuel tanks. [They] stated the tanks appeared empty. [The FAA inspector] could not see any fuel in the tanks and there was no indication that any fuel had leaked...I asked [the pilot] if he noticed what the fuel gauges were reading prior to the engine quitting, and he said one had been showing completely empty, and one was bouncing between empty and 1/4 full...no other reason for the engine to stop could be found."
The pilot reported that he had a total 106 flight hours in all aircraft, and 48.8 hours in this make and model aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8664U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17252567
- Airframe hours
- 6,247.82
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- 908 Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 20, 2001 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- EYW · Key West, FL
- Destination
- Fort Pierce, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FPR · Saint Lucie County, runway 09, 6,492 × 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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- April 22, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 106 total · 49 in this make and model · 65 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- FPR, 3 nm away