PUYALLUP, WA, USA
N2880Q
Cessna 172L
The pilot-in-command topped off the 42 gallon (38 gallons usable fuel) Cessna 172L but did not visually check the fuel. He then departed on a series of flights covering more than 354 nautical miles and 5.33 hours of flight time, including four intermediate stops where no fuel was added to the aircraft. Upon return to his point of origination he elected to execute a touch-and-go landing during which the aircraft's engine stopped operating on the climb-out. He then executed a forced landing under dark night conditions on a north-south thoroughfare (highway 161) and impacted a vehicle during the forced landing. Post-crash examination resulted in 2 cups of fuel being retrieved from the right wing fuel tank and 3 quarts from the left wing fuel tank. An FAA inspector on site was able to retrieve 4 drops of fuel from the gascolator following the accident.
On September 29, 1998, approximately 2220 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172L, registered to Barnett and Thompson, doing business as Pussy Galore's Flying Circus, and being flown by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during a collision with an automobile, while executing an emergency landing following a total loss of power at Puyallup, Washington. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. Visual dark night meteorological conditions existed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and originated most recently from Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington, approximately 45 minutes before the accident. The pilot reported that before departing Thun Field, Puyallup, Washington, on the beginning of a series of flights he "checked the fuel gauges, which indicated 3/4 full on each tank (left and right). After pulling the airplane up to the fuel island the attendant proceeded to fill the left and right side fuel tanks. I asked the attendant how much fuel he added to the aircraft and he said 7 gallons" and that "both tanks indicated full at this time. "The pilot reported to an FAA inspector following the accident that he "had not visually checked the fuel quantity" refer to ATTACHMENT S-I). The pilot reported that he then departed runway 34 at Thun field with one passenger between 1300-1315 hours and flew to Evergreen field, Vancouver, Washington, 87 nautical miles (NM) distant (straight line), arriving approximately 1415 hours. No fuel was added at this stop. The pilot reported that he then departed runway 28R at Evergreen field, approximately 1545 hours and "transitioned above Olympia (OLY) airspace at approximately 3000 msl" and that he "flew on to Winslow where (I) contacted ATC at Boeing Field (BFI) for landing instructions. ATC instructed (me) to enter the pattern on a 45 for downwind runway 35L (left traffic), and report Spokane Street" for Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington, 113 nm distant (straight line) arriving approximately 1715 hours. No fuel was added at this stop. The pilot reported that he then picked up two additional passengers and departed runway 35R at Boeing Field between 1740-1745 hours and flew over Port Townsend, Washington, to Friday Harbor, Washington, 66 nm distant (straight line) arriving approximately 1840 hours. No fuel was added at this stop. The pilot reported that he then departed runway 16 at Friday Harbor approximately 2040 hours and that the "fuel gauges indicated 1/2 full on the right fuel tank and 1/4 full on the left tank." The aircraft was flown "via Bangor and Winslow, Washington, back to Boeing Field, 66 nm distant (straight line) arriving approximately 2130 hours after executing a go-around to runway 35R. Two passengers were discharged. No fuel was added at this stop. The pilot reported that he then departed runway 35L at Boeing Field approximately 2135 hours via "West Seattle to Manchester, south over Colvos Passage to the end of Vashon Island, east over the Port of Tacoma to Puyallup, and south to Thun field" (refer to DIAGRAM I which displays the entire route of flight including the 4 intermediate stops). He reported that upon arrival at Thun field "I also announced that the landing would be a touch and go." He executed a touch and go landing to runway 34 and upon passing through approximately 300-500 feet above ground on the climb-out the engine stopped operating. The pilot then maneuvered the aircraft to land on Meridian Road (Highway 161), a main thoroughfare running north-south and slightly west of the airfield (refer to CHART I) during which the aircraft struck a vehicle. The vehicle's occupant was uninjured. The aircraft then landed on the road, struck a curb and proceeded up an embankment into a parking area. FAA on-site examination of the aircraft's fuel tank revealed no fuel in the right tank and 1/4 inch visible fuel in the left tank. Additionally, the inspector drained 4 drops of fuel out of the gascolator. When the inspector interviewed the pilot at the accident site and inquired about the current fuel load on the aircraft the pilot reported that he thought that "...that might be the problem" (refer to attached ATTACHMENT S-I). The tanks were subsequently drained and the fuel captured from each tank was reported as 2 cups from the right tank and 3 quarts from the left tank (refer to ATTACHMENT S-II). The aircraft's total fuel capacity was 42 gallons (21 gallons/tank) of which 38 gallons (19 gallons/tank) was usable. The Cruise & Range Performance Chart for the Cessna 172L equipped with a Lycoming O-320-E2D engine shows a flight endurance of 5.3 hours when flown at an altitude of 2,500 feet at an RPM of 2,400 (refer to ATTACHMENT OM-I).
The pilot-in-command's failure to refuel en-route resulting in fuel exhaustion. Contributing factors were a vehicle (in the landing path) and dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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