Cessna TR182 N787PC

Summary

On 28 April 2002 at about 22:30 local time, a Cessna TR182 registered N787PC was involved in an accident near Kersey, Colorado, 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

28 April 2002 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Kersey, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

40.3517, -104.4683

Aircraft

Cessna TR182

Registration

N787PC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hastings → Longmont

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN02LA040

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate planning decision which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that he flew direct from Longmont, Colorado to Ankeny, Iowa (533 nautical miles), and put 49.2 gallons of fuel in the airplane. On the return flight, he stopped at Hastings, Nebraska for food and a rest stop. He did not put additional fuel in the airplane during the rest stop. He departed for Longmont, Colorado, and experienced a power failure approximately 2.5 hours later; the pilot performed a forced landing to a highway. During the landing sequence, the pilot "extended the landing gear at the last second," and it failed to fully extend. The front door post bulk head was bent and the bottom of the airplane was badly damaged. The pilot said that the airplane held 92 gallons of fuel (88 gallons usable), but they customarily fueled it to the bottom of the fuel necks, which was approximately 65 gallons usable. A representative of the airplane's manufacturer said that the airplane burned approximately 14 to 15 gallons per hour in cruise flight, with 8 gallons being used for the two takeoffs and climbs to cruise altitude. The pilot also said the wind was strong from the west (maybe 30 knots), for the flight to Ankeny, and the return flight to Longmont.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.