N4918D

On March 19, 2001, at approximately 1430 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182A, N4918D, sustained substantial damage when it collided with the terrain during an emergency landing. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for this personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed from Needles Outpost, a private airstrip, south of Moab, Utah, at approximately 1300.

According to the pilot's accident report, he said there were 38 gallons of fuel on board the airplane prior to departing Richfield Municipal Airport, Richfield, Utah at 1000. He flew a 1 hour and 10 minute flight to Needles Outpost (no services). At 1300, he departed Needles Outpost and flew a return flight of 1 hour and 20 minutes. Approximately 7 miles east of Richfield, the engine lost power. He made an emergency landing in a field approximately 3/4 of a mile east of Richfield Municipal Airport. The airplane hit a berm during the landing roll. The nose landing gear collapsed and was torn off the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall, right wing spar and the right wing tip.

The pilot also stated, "I think my reading of the fuel quantity in the site tube was in error. While I was measuring the fuel, I was interrupted, and I think I mentally recorded the wrong amount of fuel, resulting in a fuel starvation accident."

An airframe and powerplant mechanic, from Richfield Aero Partners, Richfield Municipal Airport, said his examination revealed that, both fuel tank gauges were indicating "empty," the mixture control lever was in the "full rich" position, and the fuel selector was in the "both" position. He also stated that he drained both fuel tanks and recovered 2 and 1/2 gallons of fuel from the left fuel tank and 0 gallons of fuel from the right fuel tank.