Cessna A185F N5168E

Summary

On 22 July 2012 at about 18:30 local time, a Cessna A185F registered N5168E, operated by Driscoll Patrick C, was involved in an accident near Mapleton, Maine, 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

22 July 2012 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Mapleton, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Northern Maine Regional (KPQI)

Coordinates

46.7181, -68.0536

Aircraft

Cessna A185F

Registration

N5168E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Driscoll Patrick C

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ashland → Presque Isle

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12LA480

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power, and his use of an improper engine restart procedure.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a cross-country flight at an altitude of about 2,500 feet mean sea level and about 5 nautical miles from the destination airport, the pilot observed a sudden decrease in engine power. After activating the high-power fuel boost pump setting and subsequently switching fuel tanks, the pilot performed a forced landing to a nearby field; the boost pump remained activated for the rest of the flight. During the landing, the airplane collided with trees, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. Fuel normally flows by gravity from each wing’s fuel tank to a three-position selector valve. The selector valve then allows fuel flow from either the left wing tank, the right wing tank, or both tanks simultaneously. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no fuel in the right wing tank, 10 to 12 gallons of fuel in the left wing tank, and unobstructed fuel lines from the left wing tank to the fuel selector. A visual engine examination and engine test run with fuel supplied directly to the fuel selector revealed no engine operating anomalies, indicating that the pilot likely had the right fuel tank selected when the engine first lost power. When the pilot attempted to regain engine power, he left the auxiliary fuel pump activated for the rest of the flight, well beyond the 3- to 5-second interval dictated by the airplane’s engine restart procedures, which likely resulted in the engine flooding.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.