The pilot departed on the two-hour flight with the fuel quantity gauge of each fuel tank indicating about half full, but did not verify the quantity of fuel present in the tanks prior to the flight.
Approximately 20 minutes from the destination airport, the left fuel tank gauge indicated between empty and one-quarter full, and the right tank gauge indicated one-quarter full.
On the downwind leg of the traffic pattern to the airport in Huntsville, Ala., the engine began to “sputter” and experienced a total loss of power. The pilot moved the fuel selector to the right tank, but engine power was not restored.
He subsequently conducted a forced landing to the grass short of the runway, and the Cessna 172 nosed over and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall.
A post-accident examination by an FAA inspector revealed that the left fuel tank contained no fuel, and the right tank contained approximately one half of a pint of fuel. The tanks were not damaged during the accident, and there was no evidence of fuel spillage at the scene.
The NTSB determined the probable cause as the pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.
NTSB Identification: ERA14CA206
This April 2014 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
And we all pay higher insurance premiums because another pilot is too stupid to put fuel in the tanks;.
Poor headline………….
“Poor decision making …results in… an aircraft being damaged” (this should have been the headline or something close to it).
Improper fuel planning did not break the aircraft…………
The pilot made numerous poor choices, which then caused the pilot to make further poor choices….
What broke the aircraft was ..physics…….. … a rapid deceleration which allowed/caused the aircraft to overturn.. and then aircraft damaged occurred…….. why? Poor decision making….. not fuel.
I have found in cross-country flying at altitude in SEL aircraft that estimating fuel burn per time-hour is very predictable with experience, but distance achieved per hour is variable with winds aloft, especially with lower Hp aircraft-85-180 Hp for example. So, do a thorough pre-flight exam of everything using the aircraft checklist, always top off your tanks before every takeoff on a cross-country, switch tanks on a conservative time schedule for aircraft balance and you should be good to go safely.
Too many pilots land at an airport, park on the transient line without refueling and then after some variable time get back in the aircraft without ANY pre-flight, except removing the tie-downs if used even. That always has concerned me. I’ve also witnessed some attempted taildragger aircraft balked on taxi by the tail tie down still in place. A lot of engine rev noise for nothing! Do a thorough pre-flight for every takeoff, except for the touch and go local pattern practice exception.
WOW, multiple mistakes by this pilot.
– The C172L has 39 gallon tanks, so 1/2 of that is 19 gallons. At a 9 gph burn , 2 hrs will use 18 gallons… So, with ‘maybe’ 1/2 tanks , he certainly would run out of fuel in 2 hrs. [ stupid pilot trick #1 ]
– I see a lot of pilots flying wide patterns and long finals. It’s not hard to fly 1/2 mile abeam on downwind, and a 3/4 mile final at 500 ft, and easily make the runway.
I now do a lot of ‘power-off’ landings in my C175, and after a few tries, I’m able to hit my landing point.!!
It’s all about time. The fuel capacity, fuel on board, and fuel used in gallons per hour are easily determinable for almost any aircraft. Simple arithmetic can determine the time that will pass before the engine will run on the fuel available at take off. Deduct an hour from that for a margin of error and always plan to be on the ground on or before that period ends.
Estimates of speed over the ground and distance to the planned landing are factors to consider in flight planning. But setting definite limit on the duration aloft before a manditory fuel stop is critical for every flight.
YES ! using the number of ‘hours of fuel’ on board and a timer will ensure that you know when you need to land and refuel.
Airspeed and distance traveled varies with air conditions. BUT, the fuel burn rate is a constant for a known power and mixture setting.
Guys that do stuff like this, keep the supply of used aircraft parts available. Always, always, always visually check the fuel on board during the walk around pre-flight inspection. You do do a pre-flight inspection, don’t you? Obviously, this guy didn’t.
It’s too bad that the pilot could not make the runway from the downwind position.
He probably learned from someone that taught him to make 5 mile finals like an airliner.
This is a classic example of someone being taught to fly away from a perfectly good runway.
If you aren’t flying a 747 then don’t fly a pattern like one.
I suggest that if you haven’t practiced an engine failure from down wind abeam the numbers that you should do that once in a while.
Always dip for fuel, always. But the aircraft should still be serviced to have the fuel gauges fixed for what ever is causing the interruption.
Several years Ago when I was on my first attempt at getting my certificate I was flying a 172 I filled the
tanks. When I got in with the instructor & checking the gages they red empty, both sides. So I said what should we do? He said the tank gages were the most inaccurate gages on a plane. He said sense we are only going up for an hour it would be ok. Also he said were only going to practice touch & go in the final lessons of the day. Well on the last touch down Both gages started working. When I told the instructor they were working he said good. Now he did not have to take it in because that is what he would going to do when the lesson was over. Then he said this was a learning lesson & that is why preflight is so important.
Ive never flown aircraft of any kind but I do drive a truck n I do not like running out of fuel at any given time an I never trust a fuel gauge I use them but I never trust em.I like to keep fuel tanks full no matter where I go so rule o the thumb top off fuel tanks if not sure look in them b sure n b safe thanks.
Joe, sometimes due to load, if the fuel tanks are topped off, the aircraft may be over its maximum gross weight, but there really is no good excuse for running out of fuel.