Cessna 320 N5720X

Summary

On 23 August 1995 at about 18:17 local time, a Cessna 320 registered N5720X was involved in an accident near Gunnison, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 August 1995 at 18:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Gunnison, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

38.5395, -106.9201

Aircraft

Cessna 320

Registration

N5720X

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Banning → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW95LA372

1 person had minor injuries.

FUEL EXHAUSTION INDUCED POWER LOSS DUE TO THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REFUEL. A FACTOR WAS HIS DISORIENTATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE WAS SERVICED TO CAPACITY (130 GALLONS) ON THE EVENING BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AND THE PILOT FLEW APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES DOING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. HE DEPARTED BANNING, CALIFORNIA, AT 0600 PDT, EN ROUTE TO BUENA VISTA, COLORADO. UNFAVORABLE WEATHER FORCED THE PILOT TO APPROACH ALAMOSA, COLORADO, FROM THE SOUTHWEST, AND HE TURNED UP THE WRONG VALLEY. INSTEAD OF HEADING TOWARDS BUENA VISTA, HE WAS HEADING TOWARDS GUNNISON, COLORADO. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO GUNNISON. DURING THE DESCENT, BOTH ENGINES LOST POWER. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON U.S. 50, BUT HAD TO SWERVE OFF THE HIGHWAY TO AVOID AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED THE FIRST CALL THAT AN AIRPLANE WAS DOWN AT 1217 MDT. THEY REPORTED FINDING LITTLE EVIDENCE OF FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS. FLIGHT DURATION WAS APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS, 17 MINUTES. THE PILOT SAID THE FUEL FLOW GAUGES INDICATED 16 GALLONS PER HOUR IN CRUISE FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY, FUEL CONSUMPTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 25 GALLONS PER HOUR. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HIS FUEL GUAGES SHOWED 15 GALLONS IN EACH MAIN TANK WHEN THE POWER LOSS OCCURRED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.