ARLINGTON, TX, USA
N5193F
CESSNA 172N
THE INSTRUCTOR AND RATED PRIVATE PILOT WERE CONDUCTING PRACTICE LANDINGS WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION IN THE TURN TO LEFT DOWNWIND. AN OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING WAS EXECUTED ONTO SOFT TERRAIN AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. NO FUEL WAS FOUND ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE HOWEVER THE LEFT FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED ONE QUARTER TANK REMAINING AND THIS DISCREPANCY REMAINED CONSTANT THROUGHOUT THE POST-ACCIDENT TESTING. THE PRIVATE PILOT HAD BRIEFED THE INSTRUCTOR THAT HE COULD NOT CONFIRM VISUALLY THE 1/2 TANK INDICATIONS ON THE FUEL GAUGES DURING PREFLIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR TOLD THE PILOT THAT THEY WOULD BE AIRBORNE FOR AN HOUR TO AN HOUR AND A HALF AND THAT HE WAS CONFIDENT THE FUEL SUPPLY WAS ADEQUATE.
INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PROCEDURES AND FAILURE TO ASSURE AN ADEQUATE FUEL SUPPLY FOR THE PROPOSED FLIGHT WHICH LED TO THE ENSUING ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE'S ERRONEOUS QUANTITY READINGS AND THE SOFT/UNSUITABLE TERRAIN THAT LED TO A NOSE OVER DURING THE SUBSEQUENT EMERGENCY LANDING.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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