Stockton, CA, USA
N9685Q
Cessna 172M
After a loss of engine power, the airplane landed short of the runway, collapsing the nose gear and buckling the engine firewall. The pilot departed with both fuel tanks full. His route of flight usually takes 3 hours to fly. He encountered turbulence and strong winds, which had the effect of increasing the flight time to 4 hours. As he lined up for a straight-in approach to the runway, the engine stopped due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot executed a forced landing short of the approach end of runway and collided with the ground and a fence. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical malfunctions. An FAA inspector examined the airplane at the accident scene and confirmed that there was no fuel onboard.
The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator Accident Report that he departed El Monte, California, with both fuel tanks full of 100LL. His route of flight, El Monte to Stockton, California, usually takes 3 hours to fly. He encountered turbulence and strong winds, which had the effect of increasing the flight time to 4 hours. As he lined up for a straight-in approach to the Stockton Metropolitan Airport, the engine stopped due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot executed a forced landing short of the approach end of runway 29, which collapsed the nose gear and buckled the engine firewall. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical malfunctions. An FAA inspector examined the airplane at the accident scene and confirmed that there was no fuel onboard. The airplane had been modified with the installation of a higher horsepower Lycoming O-360-A1A engine in place of the original O-320.
The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations and failure to refuel while en route.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
