# NTSB MIA08CA054: Cessna 177RG, N52495, Tallahassee, FL, February 9, 2008 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: February 8, 2008, 20:40 local (Feb 9, 2008, 01:40 UTC) - Place: Tallahassee, FL - Coordinates: 30.396389, -84.349998 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.3964&lon=-84.3500&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report April 30, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 67491 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA08CA054 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/67491/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA08CA054 ## Probable cause Pilot's inaccurate fuel management resulting in fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063000): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 177RG, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063000/cases.md?model=2073709), [All aircraft, 111 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063000/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 177RG, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2073709), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: wire](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 177RG, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032/cases.md?model=2073709), [All aircraft, 588 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 177RG, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=2073709), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 177RG, 22 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2073709), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot planed a flight from Frederick, Maryland to Tallahassee, FL. While on approach to the Tallahassee Regional Airport, the engine lost power and the airplane collided with powerlines and crashed onto a y road. A Leon County Sheriff's Office representative stated he heard over the dispatch radio communications to contact the local airport; an airplane was having problems. A few moments later he observed an explosion at the top of the power lines located on the southeast corner of the intersection, almost immediately the entire city in the vicinity went completely dark. He observed flames rain down over the intersection. Approximately 6 to 8 people ran from the gas station area located on the southwest corner of the intersection. This all took place as he heard over the dispatch radio "it's down, it's down." He observed an object strike the ground. The airplane was near vertical with the front of the airplane in the grass at the southwest corner of the intersection. He came to the aid of the pilot, the sole occupant in the airplane. He observed the pilot secured by the seatbelt and was pinned in the crashed cockpit area of the airplane. Fire rescue extracted the pilot and transported him to the local hospital. The responding FAA inspector stated that the airplane crashed 3 miles northeast of the Tallahassee Regional Airport, during an emergency landing. The airplane struck electrical power lines and a pole during the approach. The airplane impacted the ground nose first and remained in a near vertical position. There was no post crash fire and the fuel tanks were empty at the initial inspection of the airplane wreckage. During the interview with the pilot, he admitted to being embarrassed because he ran out of fuel in flight. The pilot stated "I even rocked the wings to use every drop of fuel". The pilot had flown about 5 hours 34 minutes at the time of the accident and he departed with 60 gallons of fuel. ## Factual narrative The pilot planed a flight from Frederick, Maryland to Tallahassee, FL. While on approach to the Tallahassee Regional Airport, the engine lost power and the airplane collided with powerlines and crashed onto a y road. A Leon County Sheriff's Office representative stated he heard over the dispatch radio communications to contact the local airport; an airplane was having problems. A few moments later he observed an explosion at the top of the power lines located on the southeast corner of the intersection, almost immediately the entire city in the vicinity went completely dark. He observed flames rain down over the intersection. Approximately 6 to 8 people ran from the gas station area located on the southwest corner of the intersection. This all took place as he heard over the dispatch radio "it's down, it's down." He observed an object strike the ground. The airplane was near vertical with the front of the airplane in the grass at the southwest corner of the intersection. He came to the aid of the pilot, the sole occupant in the airplane. He observed the pilot secured by the seatbelt and was pinned in the crashed cockpit area of the airplane. Fire rescue extracted the pilot and transported him to the local hospital. The responding FAA inspector stated that the airplane crashed 3 miles northeast of the Tallahassee Regional Airport, during an emergency landing. The airplane struck electrical power lines and a pole during the approach. The airplane impacted the ground nose first and remained in a near vertical position. There was no post crash fire and the fuel tanks were empty at the initial inspection of the airplane wreckage. During the interview with the pilot, he admitted to being embarrassed because he ran out of fuel in flight. The pilot stated "I even rocked the wings to use every drop of fuel". The pilot had flown about 5 hours 34 minutes at the time of the accident and he departed with 60 gallons of fuel. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N52495](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N52495-2013-04-29), registration cancelled 2013-04-29, S/N 177RG1200, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 177RG - Registry model: [Cessna 177RG](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-177rg) (registry code 2073709) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-a1b6d) (registry code 41593, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: IO-360-A1B6D - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Hal E. McCord - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: KFDK, Frederick, MD - Destination: KTLH, Tallahassee, FL - Flight plan: VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3; flight hours: 500 total, 330 in this make and model, 1 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 220° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 11,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 57 °F, dew point 46 °F - Altimeter: 29.92 inHg - Observed at: KTHL ## 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 20080208831469A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080208831469A), Feb 8, 2008: Cessna 177RG, Tallahassee, FL, Destroyed. (-23) Aircraft crashed 3 miles NE of airport. During emergency landing approach aircraft struck power cables and poles, came to land on nose. There was no… 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.