Cessna 177 N3388T

Summary

On 16 October 2021 at about 21:30 local time, a Cessna 177 registered N3388T, operated by Eric J King, was involved in an accident near White Swan, Washington, 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 2021 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

White Swan, Washington, United States

Coordinates

46.3677, -120.8090

Aircraft

Cessna 177

Registration

N3388T

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Eric J King

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Zillah → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22LA017

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's improper fuel management.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the airplane reported that, after the takeoff he switched to the right fuel tank to verify that it was working, and then switched back to the left tank to run it dry for upcoming maintenance. When the engine began to sputter, he switched to the right tank, but the engine lost all power, despite turning the fuel pump on, pumping the throttle, and again switching back to the left tank. He force-landed the airplane to a dirt field where the nose landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot examined the fuel tanks and discovered that the left tank had about 2 gallons remaining, and the right tank had about 15 gallons remaining. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.