N6462A

Substantial
Serious

Cessna 182S/N: 33262

Accident Details

Date
Saturday, March 17, 2007
NTSB Number
LAX07CA111
Location
Diamond Lake, OR
Event ID
20070403X00359
Coordinates
43.087501, -122.468887
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
1
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and failure to verify the fuel supply. A factor was the night lighting condition.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N6462A
Make
CESSNA
Serial Number
33262
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
1956
Model / ICAO
182C182
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
ALEXANDER MARSHALL JAY
Address
PO BOX 1925
Status
Deregistered
City
KLAMATH FALLS
State / Zip Code
OR 97601-0110
Country
United States

Analysis

The pilot received a phone call around 1900 that his sister had been admitted to the hospital with a medical condition. The pilot decided that he would fly from his location, Klamath Falls, Oregon, to where his sister was in Eugene, Oregon. The pilot performed a preflight inspection but failed to fuel the airplane. He took off from Klamath Falls at 2100. Shortly after reaching his cruising altitude of 12,500 feet he realized that he had not fueled the airplane and upon checking the fuel gauges determined that the fuel tanks were empty. He radioed Eugene airport tower that he was out of gas and anticipating a forced landing in the mountains. The engine stopped and he turned the airplane to the southeast to try to make a small Forest Service runway at Tokettee. He could see the ground and mountainous terrain getting closer, he determined that he would not make it, and proceeded to force land the airplane on a steep snow covered slope. The pilot had survival equipment onboard that included blankets, food, satellite phone, flares, and a handheld VHF radio. He had hurt his leg and ribs during the landing, but was able to exit the airplane, set up a shelter, and sporadically contact his wife with the satellite phone. The Civil Air Patrol spotted the pilot's flare marker around 0330, and a National Guard helicopter affected the rescue about 0805.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX07CA111