Cessna 172F N8382U

Summary

On 8 March 2005 at about 23:45 local time, a Cessna 172F registered N8382U was involved in an accident near Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 March 2005 at 23:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

Hot Springs Memorial Airport (HOT)

Coordinates

34.4836, -93.0692

Aircraft

Cessna 172F

Registration

N8382U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sherrill → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW05FA082

1 person died.

A loss of engine power due to the pilot's failure to refuel resulting in fuel starvation. Contributing factors were the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing, and a shoulder harness restraint system was not installed.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After a cross-country flight, the single-engine airplane, piloted by a 40,000-hour pilot, impacted heavily wooded terrain about 1/4 miles short of the approach end of a municipal airport runway. Earlier in the day, the airplane had departed from a private airstrip with approximately 15 gallons of fuel on board. A person, who was in the vicinity of the accident site, witnessed an airplane flying toward the airport about 100 feet agl, and that the "engine was not running." He watched the airplane fly over a tree line and disappear, but he did not hear any kind of impact noise. No radio transmissions were heard from the accident airplane. There was a report by a friend of the pilot that the radio in the airplane was inoperative. Examination of the airframe and engine at the accident site did not reveal any mechanical pre-impact anomalies. The fuel tanks in both wings were not breached. The airplane was leveled, and approximately 1.5 gallons of clear automotive gasoline was drained from the airplane's fuel tanks. There did not appear to be an odor of fuel present when the investigation team first examined the wreckage. The wing-mounted, vented fuel caps were found secured. When the fuel level transmitter from each fuel tank was removed, the float arms for each moved smoothly, and were not restricted. Power was applied to the aircraft and each transmitter float moved through their full range of motion, and valid indications were observed on both fuel level gauges. The fuel selector handle was found in the "Both" position. The fuel screen was removed and found to be clean and clear of debris. According to manufacturer's documentation, the total fuel capacity of the airplane was 39 gallons (both tanks), of which, 3.0 gallons are not usable (1.5 gallons per tank). The total fuel found on-board at the accident site was approximately 1.5 gallons. Total flight time, from when the pilot last refueled the airplane with 15 gallons, could not be determined. Examination of the wrecakge showed that the basic shape and volume of the cabin was not altered during the crash. The pilot's seat was found intact with the exception of the forward inboard roller assembly, which remained attached to the seat rail within the cabin. The pilot's lap belt was found intact. Shoulder harnesses were not installed, and by FAA regulations, they were not required to be installed in the 1965 year model airplane. The pilot sustained head and chest injuries during the impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.