Fuel exhaustion Accident Cessna 172F N8559U,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 225689
 
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Date:Saturday 27 January 2018
Time:01:20
Type:Silhouette image of generic C172 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Cessna 172F
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N8559U
MSN: 17252459
Year of manufacture:1965
Total airframe hrs:4792 hours
Engine model:Continental O-300-C
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Williamsport, IN -   United States of America
Phase:
Nature:Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:Columbus-Rickenbacker International Airport, OH (LCK/KLCK)
Destination airport:Danville-Vermilion County Airport, IL (DNV/KDNV)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The commercial pilot was ferrying the newly-purchased airplane cross-country for the new owner. The first leg of the trip was completed without incident. After refueling the airplane, the pilot departed and proceeded toward the destination in night visual meteorological conditions. After about 3 hours, 51 minutes of flight, the airplane descended and impacted trees and terrain about 9 miles short of the destination. Examination of the wreckage revealed evidence of fuel exhaustion; both main fuel tanks were intact, no fuel was observed inside the tanks, and no fuel smell was noticed at the site. The lack of damage to the propeller blades was consistent with the engine not developing power at impact. According to the manufacturer's performance chart, with full main tanks, the airplane had an endurance of about 3.7 hours. Therefore, it is likely that the engine lost power as a result of fuel exhaustion.

Although toxicology testing was positive for opioids, the relative amounts of these opioids detected in urine suggest that the source may have been the ingestion of poppy seeds rather than pharmaceuticals.

Probable Cause: The pilot's mismanagement of fuel, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and descent and collision with trees.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CEN18FA088
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 4 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
01-Jun-2019 07:29 ASN Update Bot Added

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