- Date
- October 24, 2021, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- St Ignatius, MT · Near airport property
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N25WXCessna 182Q
- Defining event
- Approach: Fuel exhaustion
- 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
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20211024018129A
- Case key
- 104193
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's improper preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while enroute for the return flight home, the engine lost power. He maneuvered the airplane to a nearby airport for an emergency landing. The airplane landed short of the runway, impacted a fence, and came to rest in an irrigation ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot stated that he relied on the fuel flow monitor gauge to determine fuel level and that the gauge was indicating that he had 15 gallons of fuel remaining at the time of the loss of engine power. He further reported that the gauge apparently was not properly reset for the fuel level after coming out of recent maintenance or during his first flight following that maintenance and that the actual fuel quantity was less than expected for the accident flight. He stated that there was a 15-gallon discrepancy and that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25WX
- Reported as
- Cessna 182Q
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18266453
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 2,719
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cirrus Air LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 19, 2021 · 41 hours before
- Departed
- 7S0 · Ronan, MT
- Destination
- KMSO · Missoula, MT
- Airport
- 52S · St Ignatius, runway 08, 2,610 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Airframe parachute, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Heads up display, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, 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
- 75
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 31, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,217 total · 247 in this make and model · 1,217 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.62 inHg
- Observed at
- KMSO, 24 nm away
- METAR
- KMSO 241753Z 14010KT 10SM CLR 08/03 A2962 RMK AO2 SLP039 T00780033 10083 21006 58023
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 21, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 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.