Cessna 180K N95ME

Summary

On 30 March 2008 at about 21:30 local time, a Cessna 180K registered N95ME, operated by Eric W. Marshall, was involved in an accident near Redding, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 March 2008 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Redding, California, United States

Nearest airport

Benton Field Airport (O85)

Coordinates

40.5711, -122.4044

Aircraft

Cessna 180K

Registration

N95ME

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Eric W. Marshall

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Redding → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX08LA089

1 person was seriously injured.

A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's incorrect positioning of the fuel tank selector.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that, while maneuvering on downwind within the airport traffic pattern, he thought the fuel selector valve was on the "left" tank and rotated the handle 1/4 turn in the clockwise direction to a position he thought was "both." As the pilot turned onto base leg, he noticed the engine had lost power and initiated a forced landing to an area adjacent to the runway. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard on a rising embankment near the runway and came to rest upright. The fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that the fuel selector valve was actually in the "right" position, and when he rotated the fuel selector handle he had inadvertently positioned the valve to the "off" position. The pilot added that there were no mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.