Cessna 177 N3495T

Summary

On 10 October 2008 at about 22:13 local time, a Cessna 177 registered N3495T was involved in an accident near Bluffton, South Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

10 October 2008 at 22:13

Classification

Accident

Location

Bluffton, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Hilton Head Airport (HXD)

Coordinates

32.2225, -80.8194

Aircraft

Cessna 177

Registration

N3495T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dayton → Hilton Head

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ERA09CA012

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadequate planning and preflight inspection.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of a Cessna 177 stated that he planned to fly about 4 hours and 15 minutes without refueling. He estimated the airplane would consume about 8 gallons-per-hour, resulting in a total consumption of 34.4 gallons of fuel, which would leave 13.6 gallons remaining in the 48-gallon fuel system. About 4 hours into the flight, on approach to the destination airport, while flying at 1,300 feet above mean sea level, the engine "sputtered." He turned on the auxiliary fuel pump and subsequently the engine quit. While on the final leg of the approach, the airplane collided with power lines, a tree, and then impacted the ground, damaging the firewall. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage and stated that the left wing spar was also damaged. The left fuel tank was breeched and the right fuel tank remained intact, but there was no evidence of fuel in the tank or near the accident site. In a written statement by the air traffic controller providing radar service to the accident flight, the pilot stated that he was "out of fuel." Prior to departure, the pilot requested the fuel tanks be "topped off;" however, he did not inspect the fuel tanks during his preflight inspection to verify they were full. The fixed base operator reported that they put 36.4 gallons of fuel into the airplane. About 90 minutes into flight, the pilot increased the mixture to "rich" to alleviate a rough running engine. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.