Failure to Follow Checklist Leads to Fuel Shortage – General Aviation News

The pilot took off for a cross-country flight under visual flight rules with approximately 12 gallons of fuel in each fuel tank for the planned 1 hour and 40 minute flight.

She reported that the Cessna 172’s fuel gauges read “low” and fluctuated while driving.

Closer to the target, the fuel gauges indicated that there was more fuel in the right fuel tank, so she moved the fuel selector from the “Both” position to the “Right” position.

About 1.5 hours into the flight, while we were flying at an altitude of about 2,000 feet above the ground and provided with radar vectors on the airport traffic pattern at the destination airport, “the engine began to sputter and went silent.”

The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful and subsequently made an emergency landing in a field near Greenville, South Carolina.

The impact with the ground caused significant damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot suffered serious injuries in the crash.

Upon examination of the aircraft following the accident, it was determined that the intact right fuel tank was empty, that there were approximately 6 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel remaining in the intact left fuel tank, and that the fuel selector was in the right fueling position.

During a post-accident interview, the pilot stated that she did not use a checklist in her attempt to restart the engine when the engine lost power. Inspection of the in-flight power loss checklist found on board the aircraft revealed that the sixth item stated “Fuel selector switch – check/switch/both.”

Based on all available information, it is likely that the fuel supply eventually became exhausted and the engine lost power after the pilot selected the correct fuel tank at the start of the flight. It is also likely that the fuel remaining in the left fuel tank before the emergency landing could have restored engine power if the pilot had used the checklist and selected the “Both” position on the fuel selector.

Probable cause: The pilot’s improper fuel management resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. A contributing factor was that the pilot did not follow the checklist on board the aircraft in her attempts to restore engine power.

NTSB identification: 106245

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This November 2022 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. It was published as a teaching tool and is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.