Cessna 172
Cleburne, TX — November 1, 2018
Event Information
| Date | November 1, 2018 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | GAA19CA048 |
| Event ID | 20181102X64855 |
| Location | Cleburne, TX |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 32.35583, -97.43166 |
| Airport | CLEBURNE RGNL |
| Highest Injury | MINR |
Aircraft
| Make | Cessna |
| Model | 172 |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 1 |
| None | 0 |
| Total Injured | 1 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's improper preflight fuel planning and in-flight fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent total loss of engine power.
Full Narrative
The newly certificated pilot reported that during a cross country flight, he hadn't considered the engine's fuel burn for touch and goes or headwinds, and during the final approach to the destination airport, the engine lost power. Due to homes that were in line with the approach end of the runway, instead of continuing to the runway, he decided to perform an emergency landing in a field. During the off-airport landing, the airplane "slid" and came to rest in trees.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
During the post-accident examination, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that, the fuel gauges read zero, and that there was no fuel in the right fuel tank and only 10 ounces were recovered from the left fuel tank. Additional fuel was added to the airplane and the engine started and operated normally. He added that, after speaking to the pilot, the pilot "basically admitted" that he did not properly monitor the engine's fuel consumption.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.