Cessna 177B N34689

Summary

On 16 August 1993 at about 02:53 local time, a Cessna 177B registered N34689 was involved in an accident near Houston, Texas, United States. 3 people were 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

16 August 1993 at 02:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Houston, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.9092, -95.6506

Aircraft

Cessna 177B

Registration

N34689

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ponca City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW93LA240

Nobody was injured.

ENGINE POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MONITOR AND RECALCULATE FUEL CONSUMPTION EN ROUTE AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN ONTO WHICH THE FORCED LANDING COULD HAVE BEEN EXECUTED.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

FOLLOWING A COMPLETE POWER LOSS, THE PILOT EXECUTED A NIGHT FORCED LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD WITH ROUGH TERRAIN. RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE FUEL TANKS WERE TOPPED OFF PRIOR TO DEPARTURE ON THE 4:30 CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. PERFORMANCE DATA INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD HAVE HAD 6:33 ENDURANCE FOR THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS. THE ENGINE LOST POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION AFTER 4:18. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE WAS FOUND AT THE SITE AND THERE WERE NO FUEL LEAKAGE STAINS FOUND ON THE AIRPLANE. A SUBSEQUENT TEST RUN WITH THE CARBURETOR ON AN OVERHAULED ENGINE INDICATED THAT THE FUEL METERING WAS WITHIN LIMITS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT PERFORM EN ROUTE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS DUE TO THE MARGIN OF FUEL HE HAD ONBOARD AT TAKEOFF.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.