Cessna 177B N18739

Summary

On 4 July 1993 at about 02:50 local time, a Cessna 177B registered N18739 was involved in an accident near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 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

4 July 1993 at 02:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 177B

Registration

N18739

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grain Valley → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

FTW93LA204

Nobody was injured.

FUEL SYSTEM EXHAUSTION INDUCED POWER LOSS FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. A FACTOR WAS A LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE FUEL TANKS HAD BEEN TOPPED WITH FUEL PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED TO THE INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE THAT DURING THE PREFLIGHT, HE DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL TANKS. A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED APPROXIMTELY 5 MILES SHORT OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. DURING THE FORCED LANDING THE AIRPLANE WENT THROUGH A FENCE AND THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A TREE. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM INDICATED ZERO FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK AND LESS THAN 1/2 GALLON IN THE RIGHT TANK. AN ENGINE TEST RUN WAS CONDUCTED WITH NO ANOMALIES. AN EXAMINATION OF THE PUSH PULL CABLE, UTILIZED FOR DRAINING THE FUEL STRAINER, REVEALED THAT THE CABLE WAS HARD TO MOVE. DURING TWO OUT OF TWENTY TO THIRTY MOVEMENTS THE CABLE FAILED TO SEAT THE FUEL STRAINER AND FUEL SEEPED FROM THE STRAINER DRAIN. AN EXAMINATION OF THE DRAIN AREA AND AIRFRAME DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF FUEL STAINS. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED AT 1835. FLIGHT DURATION WAS ABOUT 3 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.