Pilot Debrief

Cessna 172 near Santa Rosa, CA — 2008-06-06

Final reportLAX08CA164
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Date
2008-06-06
Location
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
Airport
KSTS
Aircraft
Cessna 172
Registration
N6494E
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot's improper in-flight decision making and inadequate fuel consumption calculations that resulted in fuel exhaustion.

NTSB narrative

The pilot took off with 38 gallons of fuel on board, and planned a 3-hour flight to his refueling stop. After departure he followed the wrong highway northeast. He realized his mistake, adjusted his course to intercept the correct highway, and continued on to his destination. He flew at 4,500 feet mean sea level (msl) and 110 miles per hour (mph) ground speed according to his global positioning system (GPS). Winds aloft at 4,950 feet msl were from 320 degrees at 21 knots, providing a strong headwind. After 4.4 hours of flight, the airplane ran out of fuel near his refueling stop, and the pilot made a forced landing into a vineyard near the airport.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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