- Date
- August 22, 1993, 12:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Phillips, ME
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N90441Cessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930822030039A
- Case key
- 38644
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 and inflight decision which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power.
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 airplane was at an altitude of 2000 feet , 2 miles north of Phillips airport, when the engine lost power. The pilot tried to force land at the airport, but the airplane struck a tree about 200 yards short of the airport. The pilot stated he did not know how much fuel was aboard at takeoff; however, he noted the fuel quantity gages were near empty. The investigation revealed there was an inadequate supply of fuel.
Factual narrative
On Sunday, August 22, 1993, at about 1245 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N90441, piloted by Mr. Leon Ross, collided with a tree during a forced landing near Phillips, Maine. The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot and the two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR 91.
The pilot did not make a statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2. According to the FAA, the pilot stated that the airplane's engine lost total power approximately 2 miles north of the Phillips, Maine Airport, at an approximate altitude of 2000 feet. The pilot attempted to make a landing at the Phillips Airport, but landed about 200 yards east of the airport on the southeast side of Route 4, and impacted with a tree.
According to the FAA:
"...Mr. Ross [pilot] stated he had fueled the aircraft with 10 gallons of autogas on Saturday, August 21, 1993, and flown approximately one half hour on that day...he fueled the aircraft with another 10 gallons of autogas on Sunday, August 22, 1993. Mr. Ross stated that he flew approximately 3 hours on Sunday...
According to the FAA the pilot did not know how much fuel was on board the airplane at takeoff, but said, "...when he took off the fuel gauges were reading just above the red line.
The FAA examined the fuel tanks while the airplane was resting in a 45 degree nose down angle, using a stick to determine fuel levels. According to the FAA, "...both tanks showed fuel at the 2-3 inch mark." The fuel line from the gascolator was disconnected, and according to the FAA, "...small droplets of fuel emerged...the gascolator revealed a small to medium pool of fuel."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90441
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17256642
- Airframe hours
- 6,170
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Leon Ross
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 14, 1992 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- 10M · ME
- Destination
- 10M · ME
- Airport
- 10M · Raymond, runway 13, 2,300 × 90 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
- 60
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 16 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 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.