# NTSB WPR18LA092: Cessna 172, N7328F, Obyan, Sark, February 19, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: February 19, 2018, 17:30 local (07:30 UTC) - Place: Obyan, Sark - Coordinates: 15.114722, 145.716659 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=15.1147&lon=145.7167&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-climb to cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: FAA-FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 96757 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR18LA092 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96757/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96757 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18LA092 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning and inadequate in-flight fuel monitoring which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and an emergency landing and subsequent impact with a ditch. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 1,391 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-climb to cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 28 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 18 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the operator, about 5 minutes after departure for a local, aerial observation flight, the engine began running roughly and then lost all power. While returning to the airport, the pilot was able to regain engine power momentarily by pumping the throttle control, but shortly after, the engine began to run roughly again, and the power decreased to 1,000 rpm. Subsequently, the pilot declared an emergency, and a tower controller cleared him to land. Due to the opposite direction departing airport traffic, the pilot chose to conduct a straight-in approach instead of a 360° turn to lose altitude. After landing, the airplane bounced several times, and the pilot then deliberately veered it off the runway. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a ditch and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot reported that he did not visually check the fuel tanks before departure and that he did not recall whether he looked at the fuel quantity indicators before or during the flight. The pilot did not report if he conducted any preflight fuel planning. The operator reported that the fuel logs did not indicate that the airplane had been fueled on the day of the accident. During examination of the airplane, no fuel was found in the wing tanks or carburetor bowl. A small amount of fuel was found in the gascolator bowl. No stains or other evidence was found at the accident site indicating that fuel had leaked from the airplane. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Although previous flight times and fuel records were not obtained during the investigation, given that the pilot did not check the fuel quantity before the flight, it is likely that his preflight fuel planning was inadequate because he did not ensure sufficient fuel was onboard for the flight and that he did not adequately monitor the fuel in flight, which led to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On February 19, 2018, about 1730 Chamorro standard time, a Cessna 172N airplane, N7328F, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport (PGSN), Obyan, Northern Mariana Islands. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight. According to the operator, about 5 minutes after departure, the pilot reported that the engine began running roughly and then lost all power when the airplane was about 3 miles east of the airport and about 2,000 ft mean sea level. The pilot contacted a tower controller at the departure airport and reported that he intended to return to the airport, and the controller instructed him to enter the left downwind leg of the traffic pattern. While returning to the airport, the pilot was able to regain engine power by pumping the throttle control. While approaching the left downwind leg, the engine began to run roughly again, and the power decreased to 1,000 rpm. The pilot continued to pump the throttle control to no effect. Subsequently, the pilot declared an emergency, and a tower controller cleared him to land on an 8,700-ft-long, dry, asphalt runway. Due to the airport traffic in the area, the pilot chose to conduct a straight-in approach, instead of a 360° turn to lose altitude. According to a tower controller, the airplane was high and fast as it crossed the runway threshold and landed with about 1,000 ft of runway remaining. After landing, the airplane bounced several times, and the pilot subsequently deliberately veered it off the runway. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a ditch and nosed over. The pilot reported that he did not visually check the fuel in the tanks before departure. He subsequently reported that he did not recall whether he looked at the fuel quantity indicators before or during the flight. The pilot did not report if he conducted any preflight fuel planning. The operator reported that the fuel logs did not indicate that the airplane had been fueled on the day of the accident. The airplane’s previous flight times and fuel records were not obtained during the investigation. Examination of the airplane revealed that the wings, vertical stabilizer, and rudder had sustained substantial damage. No fuel was found in the tanks or the carburetor bowl during examination. A small amount of fuel was found in the gascolator bowl. No obvious stains or other evidence was found at the accident site indicating that fuel had leaked from the airplane. The gascolator was clear of debris. No fuel was found in the carburetor bowl. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7328F](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7328F-2020-09-08), registration cancelled 2020-09-08, S/N 17273244, built 1979 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172 (N) - Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17273244 - Year built: 1979 - Airframe hours: 631.7 - Engines: LYCOMING O-320 SERIES 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial observation, Part 91 - Operator: Star Marianas Air, Inc - Registered owner: Marianas Air Transfer Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, February 18, 2018, 26 hours before - Departed: GSN, Obyan, OF - Destination: GSN, Obyan, OF - Airport: GSN, Francisco C Ada/Saipan Intl, runway 25, 8,700 × 200 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system, Angle of attack indicator ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 25; injuries: minor; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review June 14, 2017; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 776 total, 179 in this make and model, 697 as pilot in command, 248 in the last 90 days, 124 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 70° at 13 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 29.87 inHg - Observed at: PGSF, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20180219012469A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180219012469A), Feb 19, 2018: Cessna 172N, Saipan, CM, Substantial damage. Aircraft departed gsn for a 15 minute sightseeing flight. Three miles northeast of the airport the engine lost power. The pilot pumped the trottle and power… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 18, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96757. 5.9 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 4.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9743361&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Operators email (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 108 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9743105&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Operator%20Email_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Mechanics notes (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 18 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9743729&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Mechanics%20Notes-Examination%20Information_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photo array-onsite photos (item 4, PDF, 6 pages, 892 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9743547&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Onsite-Rel.pdf - Photo array-engine examination (item 5, PDF, 6 pages, 462 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9742722&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Engine%20Examination-Rel.pdf 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.