Cessna 182 N6412A

Summary

On 28 September 2002 at about 17:00 local time, a Cessna 182 registered N6412A was involved in an accident near Lucerne Valley, California, United States. 3 people were 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

28 September 2002 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lucerne Valley, California, United States

Nearest airport

Apple Valley (APV)

Coordinates

34.4525, -117.0644

Aircraft

Cessna 182

Registration

N6412A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Boulder City → Apple Valley

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX02LA298

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel consumption calculations.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane experienced a loss of engine power in-flight and collided with a tree during a forced landing. The pilot said that prior to departure he verified that the airplane had 35 gallons of fuel onboard. While approaching his planned destination, about 6,500 feet above ground level, the engine began to sputter. He verified that the fuel selector was in the "both" position, pulled the carburetor heat to the on position, and the engine smoothed out. About 10 to 15 second later, the engine began to surge, and then quit. Unable to restart the engine, the pilot opted to land in a field, next to a busy highway. After touching down, the airplane overran the field and continued across a dirt road. The left wing collided with a dead tree and the airplane impacted an embankment. After exiting the airplane, the pilot noted that there was a direct tailwind. He estimated the wind was about 25 to 30 knots, with gusts up to 40 knots. A representative of the company that recovered the wreckage after the accident stated that fuel tanks and lines were intact, and they drained about 3 gallons of fuel in the left tank and about 4 gallons of fuel in the right tank.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.