- Date
- October 18, 2002, 15:12 local (19:12 UTC)
- Place
- Hartwood, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2718GCessna 182B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-27
- FAA report
- 20021018032679A
- Case key
- 55935
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
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
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
Approximately 1 hour into flight, the engine lost all power, and the pilot attempted a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane struck a tree located at the approach end of the field. The pilot initially reported that he departed with 2 inches of fuel in each tank, with the intention of flying 1 hour. The pilot subsequently stated that he had departed with 23 gallons of fuel. Examination of the airplane revealed that there was no fuel in either fuel tank.
Factual narrative
On October 18, 2002, about 1512 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182B, N2718G, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, following a loss of engine power in cruise flight near Hartwood, Virginia. The certificated commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local maintenance flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the Virginia State Police, the pilot reported that he departed Hartwood Airport (8W8), Somerville, Virginia, with "2 inches" of fuel in each tank. The pilot flew over the local area for approximately 1 hour, before the engine lost all power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field.
In a subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that he had departed 8W8 with 23 gallons of fuel, with the intention of conducting a 1 hour maintenance flight. The pilot further stated that prior to the flight, the sparkplugs were changed, and some minor adjustments were made to the engine. According to the tachometer, after 1 hour, while descending toward 8W8, the engine lost all power. The pilot established a best glide speed of 70-75 mph, and moved the fuel selector through its entire range, with no change in engine performance. The power loss occurred about 2,500 feet msl, over a wooded area. The pilot did not think he could glide the airplane to 8W8, and attempted to land in a field. During the landing, the airplane stuck a tree at the approach end of the field. It then came to rest in the field, at an approximate 80 degree nose down attitude.
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that their was no fuel in either fuel tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2718G
- Reported as
- Cessna 182B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 52018
- Airframe hours
- 5,375
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hartwood Aviation
- Registered owner
- Lorna C Brignolia
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 5, 2002 · 65 hours before
- Departed
- 8W8 · Somerville, VA
- Destination
- 8W8
- Airport
- 8W · Hartwood, runway 35, 2,470 × 35 ft, grass/turf
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
- 69
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 3, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,989 total · 602 in this make and model · 1,857 as pilot in command · 87 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- HEF, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.