Cessna 177 N2246Y

Summary

On 16 October 2003 at about 18:58 local time, a Cessna 177 registered N2246Y, operated by John A. Farris, was involved in an accident near Nageezi, New Mexico, 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

16 October 2003 at 18:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Nageezi, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

36.4356, -107.5769

Aircraft

Cessna 177

Registration

N2246Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

John A. Farris

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → Farmington

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN04LA011

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's inadequate preflight planning, inadequate fuel consumption calculations, and improper fuel management. Contributing factors include fuel exhaustion resulting in the loss of power, the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing and the tree.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had conducted a thorough preflight prior to his departure. He stated he measured 9.5 gallons in the left tank and 9.0 gallons in the right tank using a wooden stick that had been calibrated by another pilot for that specific aircraft. Engine start, taxi, take-off and climb out were normal. During cruise flight at 10,500 feet, the pilot checked the fuel mixture. Approximately 50 minutes into the flight, the pilot reported he switched from both tanks to the right tank. The right tank went dry approximately 3 minutes later so the pilot switched to the left tank. During the pilot's gradual descent, between 8,000 msl and 9,000 msl, the engine lost power. The pilot stated he established a pattern for a forced landing on a "narrow dirt road." During the landing roll, the airplane collided with the brush to the side of the road causing substantial damage to the airplane. Post accident examination revealed the fuel tanks were empty. According to the Cessna pilot operating handbook, the engine consumes 8.5 to 10 gallons of fuel per hour depending on the power setting.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.