The pilot reported that he visually checked both fuel tanks prior to takeoff and noted he had 40 gallons of usable fuel for the flight.
About an hour into the flight, the Cessna 182’s engine lost all power and he conducted an off-field emergency landing near Ringwood, New Jersey.
During the landing, the airplane collided with a tree and damaged the left wing.
After the emergency landing, while securing the airplane, the pilot discovered fuel streaks on the left horizontal stabilizer.
He also discovered that the left tank fuel cap was missing.
Although he said he thought he replaced the fuel cap after checking the fuel, he contacted the departure airport, and the fuel cap was located on the ramp.
The pilot did not report any other mechanical anomalies.
An examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed structural damage to the left, outboard wing.
The fuel tank was not breached and the left fuel tank fuel cap was missing. The left and right fuel tanks were checked for fuel and both tanks were found empty. The fuel selector was discovered in the both position. The forward sump was drained, and a slight amount of fuel drained from the sump.
Probable Cause: A loss of engine power in flight due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot’s failure to secure the left wing’s fuel cap.
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This November 2021 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.
Preflight! A decent preflight would have prevented this whole episode!
I wonder what distracted this pilot while he was refueling?
In-flight, every 30 minutes…HEFOE check:
Hydraulic
Electric
Fuel
Oxygen
Engine(s)
Has saved me more than once.
For those of you who have analog fuel gauges and you’ve left the fuel cap off, you know both tanks will indicate full while in flight. Also there should be a placard on the panel that states this. However if you have updated to electronic/computer fuel gauges I’m not sure it will give you any kind of a heads up.
Here’s my event.
I dipped my tanks, I was pleasantly surprised I had enough fuel for my multiple flights and return with my personal reserve of 18 gallons. I flew 3 legs of my flight mission for the day. My wife and I stopped at a friends grass strip and spent several hours before heading home. I had an argument with myself about doing a preflight because I had already flown most of the morning.
I finally said FINE! I’ll preflight! As I opened the baggage door, something caught my eye in the periphery. There it was my fuel cap upside down at the end of its chain, on top of the wing. My heart sunk, our next leg was 45 min over heavily forested land. I dipped the tanks, 7 gallons remained.
I don’t remember ever it being mentioned about the fuel cap off and what the fuel gauge readings would be. My wife and I had both noticed the gauges reading full even though we knew they weren’t. I let her know that I’d trouble shoot the gauges when we get back home. I reassured her the computer says we have more than enough fuel. I had never forgotten the fuel cap in my nearly 600 hours.
It’s good than GAN is showing how often this is repeated. If fuel gauges are not being scanned, most likely the other system gauges (oil temp and pressure, vacuum, alternator, fuel flow, egt) aren’t either. Fuel alerts were added to the newer models (ex: 96 Skyhawks) but even then, they only activate when the fuel has already reached a very low level.
Great to know
Amazing. There isn’t a spring loaded valve that would prevent this if someone forgot the cap.
Most Cessna fuel selectors have spring loaded ball valves. In the ‘both’ position, both valves are open to allow fuel to flow from both tanks.
However, while fuel is flowing to the engine, fuel can/ will transfer between the tanks.
If the aircraft is flying slightly uncoordinated , and the left wing is lower than the right wing, fuel will flow to the left tank. If the left tank becomes full, the fuel will now overflow out the vent under the wing.
Having owned a Cessna for 16 years they have a metal chain attached to the cap that should not be taken off so pilots don’t forget their head. As said above how do you not look at your fuel gages…..once?
This is the only down side to the ‘both’ setting on the selector….fuel will transfer between tanks, so with fuel siphoning from one tank, the other will cross feed to keep them approximately equally.
The pilot failed to keep the fuel gauges in his scan, other wise he would have noticed the low indications , and maybe realized what was happening…?? Maybe.
So, the action would be to select one tank and watch the gauges.
If I park my Cessna on a slight side slope and the tanks are near full, the lower tanks will dump fuel out the vent under the wing.
Oh.! …and he dumped $250 of fuel in addition to the rental charge….ouch.!!
Cost a lot for such a short flight.