ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 358029
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| Date: | Sunday 12 November 1995 |
| Time: | 16:32 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 172N |
| Owner/operator: | Uw Flying Club, Inc. |
| Registration: | N738LM |
| MSN: | 17270062 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1977 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5052 hours |
| Engine model: | LYCOMING O-320-H2AD |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Niles, MI -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Buffalo, NY (KBUF) |
| South Bend, IN (KSBN) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE PILOT HAD FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM BUFFALO, NEW YORK, TO SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AND SPENT 20 MINUTES GROUND RUNNING TIME WAITING FOR AN IFR CLEARANCE. DURING THE FLIGHT THE LEFT FUEL TANK GAUGE WAS ERRATIC, SO THE PILOT IGNORED IT. THE IN-FLIGHT TIME WAS 4 HOURS AND 25 MINUTES BEFORE A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED. THE PILOT STATED THE FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR THE AIRPLANE WAS BETWEEN 8.5 TO 8.9 GPH. AT 8.5 GPH, THE FUEL BURNED DURING THE 4 HOUR AND 25 MINUTE FLIGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN 37.5 GALLONS, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 2 GALLONS USED FOR THE 20 MINUTE GROUND TIME, FOR A TOTAL OF 39.5 GALLONS USED. AT 8.9 GPH, THE TOTAL WOULD HAVE BEEN 41.3 GALLONS. THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK SHOWS THE USABLE FUEL OF 40 GALLONS, WITH 3 GALLONS UNUSABLE. THE POSTCRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED 1-1/2 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK; NO FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK.
Probable Cause: fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's improper fuel consumption calculations. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft and operating with a known malfunctioning fuel gauge.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CHI96LA030
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 16 May 1997 | N738LM | Univ. Of Wisconsin Flying Club | 0 | Madison, WI | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Mar-2024 09:12 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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