WENTZVILLE, MO, USA
N5333T
CESSNA 172H
DURING A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM BOTH TANKS TO THE RIGHT TANK TO BALANCE THE FUEL. AFTER THE TANKS WERE BALANCED, HE FAILED TO SWITCH THE SELECTOR BACK TO BOTH. DURING A NIGHT, FINAL APPROACH AT HIS DESTINATION, THE ENGINE LOST POWER FROM FUEL STARVATION WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR STILL POSITIONED TO THE RIGHT TANK. HE DID NOT SWITCH TO THE LEFT TANK OR BOTH TANKS TO RESTART THE ENGINE. HE WAS AWARE OF POWER LINES NEAR THE RUNWAY AND FOCUSED HIS FULL ATTENTION TO FLYING THE AIRCRAFT AND LOCATING THE POWER LINES. HE SPOTTED THE POWER LINES ON HIS FLIGHT PATH AND MANEUVERED UNDER THEM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED WHEN IT LANDED IN A CONSTRUCTION AREA AND CONTINUED INTO A CORN FIELD. IT CAME TO REST ABOUT 400 FT FROM THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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