Cessna 140 N4185N

Summary

On 9 February 2025 at about 16:45 local time, a Cessna 140 registered N4185N was involved in an accident near Salome, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 February 2025 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Salome, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Indian Hills Airpark (2AZ1)

Coordinates

33.7488, -113.6240

Aircraft

Cessna 140

Registration

N4185N

Category

Airplane

Year built

1947

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Salome → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR25LA099

1 person had minor injuries.

The total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during preflight inspection, the fuel tank gauges both read full, however, he did not visually verify the fuel quantity in the fuel tanks before takeoff. Following an uneventful flight, while on final approach to the runway, the engine suffered a total loss of power. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to restore engine power before attempting a forced landing on a dirt road. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted trees, fence posts, and terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot stated that after the accident, he observed that the left fuel tank had no fuel, and the right fuel tank contained only a trace amount of fuel. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.