Cessna TR182 N729SC

Summary

On 11 April 2006 at about 19:30 local time, a Cessna TR182 registered N729SC was involved in an accident near Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 April 2006 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

40.5883, -105.0417

Aircraft

Cessna TR182

Registration

N729SC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Carlsbad → Laramie

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN06LA059

Nobody was injured.

the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing factors were the pilot's improper preflight planning, the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane, and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to departure, the pilot estimated the airplane's fuel tanks contained approximately 70 gallons of fuel, and he planned a usage of 50 gallons for flight. While in cruise flight at 10,500 feet, the pilot encountered light and occasional moderate turbulence. Because of the turbulence, the pilot reduced the engine power several times to slow the aircraft. At least three times during the flight, the pilot lowered the landing gear to slow the aircraft and to increase stability. While en route at an altitude of 8,500 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot noticed on the fuel gauges that the right tank appeared empty and the left tank indicated more than 1/4 tank of fuel. The pilot switched the fuel selector to the left tank and the engine regained power. The pilot then decided to land at a nearby airport to add some fuel, check the magnetos and ground run the engine before continuing to his intended destination. Approximately 9 miles from the airport, the pilot lowered the landing gear and initiated a descent to the airport's pattern altitude. During the descent, the engine "faltered and surged" 4 to 5 times. The pilot then trimmed the airplane for a 60 knot glide speed, declared an emergency on UNICOM frequency and attempted a landing to the nearest runway. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power, and the pilot initiated a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane contacted a fence and a berm, and the nose gear collapsed, buckling the firewall. According to the recovery personnel, less than 1 gallon of fuel was recovered from the wing tanks and airframe fuel lines. The fuel sending units were removed from the wings and functionally tested. A functional check of the sending units and cockpit fuel gauges revealed no anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.