Cessna 175 N9485B

Summary

On 10 March 1997 at about 01:12 local time, a Cessna 175 registered N9485B, operated by Shenandoah FLT SVC Inc., was involved in an accident near Weirs Cave, Virginia, United States. 2 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

10 March 1997 at 01:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Weirs Cave, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Shenandoah Valley (SHD)

Coordinates

38.2794, -78.9197

Aircraft

Cessna 175

Registration

N9485B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Shenandoah FLT SVC Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Morristown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

IAD97LA053

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, and inaccurate fuel calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. Darkness and high vegetation in the forced landing area were related factors.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After refueling the airplane with 43.1 gallons of fuel, the pilot departed at 1645, for the return cross-country flight. Twenty miles from his destination, the engine began running rough. The pilot applied carburetor heat, and the situation remedied itself. Shortly thereafter, at 2012, the engine stopped completely. The airplane impacted the terrain in a partially wooded field about 3 miles north of his destination. Minimum (residual) fuel was found during a post-accident examination of the airplane. A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector stated that there were no signs of fuel stains on the wreckage to indicate that fuel was leaking from the fuel tanks, or from elsewhere. The pilot stated that he had 52 gallons of fuel for flight planning purposes. The Cessna owner's manual indicates the total fuel capacity was 52 gallons, with 43 gallons usable. The cruise performance chart in the owner's manual indicated that at 5,000 feet altitude with a 72% power setting and the mixture rich, the engine would use 12.3 gallons of fuel per hour, with an endurance time of 3.5 hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.