Kennesaw, GA, USA
N177RV
Cessna 177RG
While on a short cross-country flight, the pilot contacted an air traffic control tower, at an airport that was not his intended destination. The pilot reported that he was approximately 5 miles north of the airport, low on fuel, and requested to land quickly. The air traffic controller instructed the pilot to enter a left base leg for runway 9. The pilot subsequently stated that he was out of fuel, and declared an emergency. The air traffic controller advised the pilot that the airplane was 2 miles north of the airport, and asked if the pilot was in the vicinity of a highway. The pilot replied that he was "stalling," and the airplane impacted a wooded area in a nose-down attitude. Examination of the wreckage revealed that there was no fuel in the fuel tanks, and no evidence of fuel throughout the fuel system. In addition, there was no evidence of a fuel leak.
On August 1, 2007, about 1720 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 177RG, N177RV, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Kennesaw, Georgia. The certificated private pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated from Athens Airport (AHN), Athens, Georgia, about 1630; destined for Cartersville Airport (VPC), Cartersville, Georgia. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 91. A National Transportation Safety Board investigator was flying near the accident site, and monitoring the air traffic control tower (ATCT) frequency at Cobb County Airport (RYY), Atlanta, Georgia. The Safety Board investigator report that at approximately 1710, the accident pilot contacted the RYY ATCT, and stated that he was approximately 5 miles north of RYY, low on fuel, and requested to land quickly. The air traffic controller instructed the pilot to enter a left base leg for runway 9. The pilot subsequently stated that he was out of fuel, and declared an emergency. The air traffic controller advised the pilot that the airplane was 2 miles north of RYY, and asked if the pilot was in the vicinity of Cobb Parkway. The pilot replied that he was "stalling," and no further transmissions were received from the accident airplane. The pilot suffered critical injuries, and could not recall the accident. The pilot reported a total flight experience of 237.5 hours; of which, 13.4 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane. The airplane impacted a wooded area in a nose-down attitude. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that there was no fuel in the fuel tanks, and no evidence of fuel throughout the fuel system. In addition, the FAA inspector did not observe any evidence of a fuel leak. The reported weather at RYY, at 1724, was: wind from 150 degrees at 3 knots; visibility 10 miles; scattered clouds at 6,000 feet; broken ceiling at 7,500 feet; temperature 32 degrees Celsius (C); dew point 18 degrees C; altimeter 29.95 inches of mercury.
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion during approach.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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