Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 180 near Sutton-Alpine, AK — 2022-08-12

Final reportANC22LA068
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Date
2022-08-12
Location
Sutton-Alpine, AK, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA 180
Registration
N6577A
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB narrative

About two hours into the flight, while at cruise altitude over mountainous terrain, the airplane’s engine sustained a loss of power. The pilot was unable to restore engine power and performed a forced landing to a canyon, resulting in substantial damage when the airplane impacted trees. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel lines and carburetor contained about 2 oz of fuel. The fuel strainer remained undamaged and did not contain any fuel and the fuel tanks contained minimal fuel. The examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that he departed on the flight with about 3 hours of fuel. He also stated to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors that the airplane was “low” on fuel when the loss of engine power occurred. There were signs of fuel stains on the airplane at the accident site; therefore, it is possible that fuel leaked the from tanks while the airplane sat at the accident site. However, since there was no fuel found in the undamaged fuel strainer, it is likely that the pilot did not have as much fuel onboard as he thought, and that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot should have ensured adequate fuel before departure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 11 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents11

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