- Date
- July 7, 2010, 22:42 local (Jul 8, 2010, 05:42 UTC)
- Place
- Rancho Murieta, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8793UCessna 172F
- Defining event
- Approach: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100708040219A
- Case key
- 76428
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 total loss of engine power in flight due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that when he was about 7 miles from his intended destination the engine began to run rough and lost all power about one minute later. He unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine multiple times. The pilot decided to try to land at a closer airport but realized he would not be able to make it to that airport, either, so he elected to land in an open field. During landing the airplane bounced and the right wing collided with a tree, which spun the airplane around. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. Local fire department first responders reported that when they arrived on scene there were no fuel leaks and there was no odor of fuel present on-scene. They attempted to drain fuel from the sump but no fuel came out. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and reported that there was no fuel at the selector valve or in the wing tanks. The pilot stated that "... adding additional fuel in excess of [the] perceived minimum fuel level would likely have avoided [the] power loss...."
Factual narrative
In a written statement, the pilot reported that when he was about 7 miles from his intended destination the engine began to run rough and lost all power about one minute later. He unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine multiple times. The pilot decided to try to land at a closer airport but realized he would not be able to make it to that airport, either, so he elected to land in an open field. During landing the airplane bounced and the right wing collided with a tree, which spun the airplane around. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. Local fire department officials reported that when they arrived on scene there were no fuel leaks and there was no odor of fuel present on-scene. They attempted to drain fuel from the sump but no fuel came out. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector stated that there was no fuel at the selector valve or in the wing tanks. Recovery personnel found no fuel in the system when they disassembled the airplane for movement and said the fuel system was intact. The pilot stated that "... adding additional fuel in excess of [the] perceived minimum fuel level would likely have avoided power loss...."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8793U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172F (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17252698
- Airframe hours
- 6,844
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Low Flying Angels, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Low Flying Angels, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 2, 2010 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- KHJO · Hanford, CA
- Destination
- KMHR · Sacramento, CA
- Airport
- KRIU · Rancho Murieta
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 28, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,060 total · 1,600 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- KMHR
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 875 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.