- Date
- October 16, 2021, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- White Swan, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3388TCessna 177
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20211016021899A
- Case key
- 104135
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 due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's improper fuel management.
Findings · 2
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 of the airplane reported that, after the takeoff he switched to the right fuel tank to verify that it was working, and then switched back to the left tank to run it dry for upcoming maintenance. When the engine began to sputter, he switched to the right tank, but the engine lost all power, despite turning the fuel pump on, pumping the throttle, and again switching back to the left tank. He force-landed the airplane to a dirt field where the nose landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot examined the fuel tanks and discovered that the left tank had about 2 gallons remaining, and the right tank had about 15 gallons remaining. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3388T
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700688
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 3,213
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Eric J King
- Registered owner
- Eric J King
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 15, 2021 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- WA97 · Zillah, WA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- N/A
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Handheld GPS, Video recording device, ADS-B
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
- Unknown, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 15, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 605 total · 427 in this make and model · 567 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Icing
- Unknown
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KOMK, 28 nm away
- METAR
- KOMK 162153Z AUTO 20011KT 10SM CLR 18/04 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP143 T01780039
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 9, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 MB 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.