Cessna 180D N6475X

Summary

On 13 August 2010 at about 23:00 local time, a Cessna 180D registered N6475X was involved in an accident near Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. One person was 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

13 August 2010 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Hillsboro, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Stark's Twin Oaks Airpark (7S3)

Coordinates

45.4236, -122.9386

Aircraft

Cessna 180D

Registration

N6475X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Seattle → Hillsboro

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10CA401

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation resulting from unporting when the pilot entered into a slip during the turn to the final approach leg.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot performed a preflight inspection for the cross-country flight, which included checking the fuel tanks. He used a calibrated stick and determined that he had 15 gallons in the right fuel tank and 10 gallons in the left fuel tank; he flew the majority of the flight with the right fuel tank selected. Upon reaching the destination airport, as he was switching from the right fuel tank position to the "BOTH" position, the engine surged. As the pilot made a left turn onto the base leg of the traffic pattern, he noted that the airplane was slightly high. He initiated a left slip to lose altitude. When he leveled the airplane, the engine began to surge as if it were out of fuel. The pilot reported that he tried to maintain engine power by pumping the throttle back and forth, but was unable to retain power. Determining that he would not be able to maneuver the airplane to the runway, the pilot opted to perform a forced landing on a dirt path. The airplane landed hard and the right main landing gear collapsed. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. Cessna issued guidance to pilots not to perform slips with less than 1/4 tank of fuel; however, the guidance was issued after the airplane's handbook was published. The pilot further stated that if he had maintained a correct airspeed for the approach, it would not have been necessary for him to maneuver the airplane in a slip.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.