WPR13LA113

The pilot reported that during a cross-country flight, the engine lost power. Despite his efforts, the pilot was unable to restart the engine and initiated a forced landing in rough terrain. During the off airport landing, the airplane nosed over. Postaccident examination of the airframe fuel system and engine run revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

On February 2, 2013 about 1630 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172M, N1421V, was substantially damaged during a forced landing on rough terrain in the Aravaipa Canyon, 26 miles north-northwest of Wilcox, Arizona. The pilot and 3 passengers were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan was filed. The accident occurred during the last leg of a multi-leg cross country flight that originated from Globe, Arizona, at 1500 with a planned destination of Benson Municipal Airport, Benson, Arizona.The pilot reported in a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that about 2,000 feet above ground level, the engine suddenly lost power. He switched the fuel selector handle from the “Both” position to the “Right” tank position, since the right wing fuel gauge indicated about half a tank. Despite his efforts, the pilot could not restart the engine and he initiated a forced landing onto rough terrain. The nose landing gear dug into the terrain during the landing roll and the airplane nosed over. The pilot further stated that he had about 12 gallons of fuel in the left tank and 18 gallons of fuel in the right tank prior to departure. The airplane wreckage was removed from the accident site and transported to a secure facility for examination. According to the recovery team, both wing fuel tanks were found empty and soil underneath the wings was saturated with fuel. The recovered engine and airframe were examined by representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB investigator-in-charge. Examination of the airplane revealed the empennage section, fuselage and wings were buckled and the vertical stabilizer and rudder were crushed downward. The airframe fuel system was examined and no anomalies were noted. The engine was prepared for a test run on the airframe. The engine ran smoothly for several minutes. The examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. See the Examination Report in the public docket for further information.