Summary
On July 30, 2009, a Cessna A185F (N989DM) was involved in an incident near River Falls, WI. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot not checking the security of the fuel caps prior to flight leading to fuel exhaustion and the subsequent non-mechanical loss of engine power during descent.
The pilot had the airplane fueled and then departed on a cross country flight. The pilot reported that the airplane lost engine power during descent to the destination airport. An off-airport landing was performed and substantial damage occurred when the airplane impacted high vegetation. The pilot stated that he did not check the fuel tank caps before the flight. The fuel tanks did not contain fuel and fuel caps were not in-place on-scene.
The Cessna 185, Skywagon, owner's manual contained a preflight inspection checklist. That inspection checklist, in part, stated:
4 f. Visually check fuel quantity; then check [the right fuel tank’s] fuel filler cap secure and vent unobstructed. ...
6 a.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN09CA477. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N989DM.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot not checking the security of the fuel caps prior to flight leading to fuel exhaustion and the subsequent non-mechanical loss of engine power during descent.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot had the airplane fueled and then departed on a cross country flight. The pilot reported that the airplane lost engine power during descent to the destination airport. An off-airport landing was performed and substantial damage occurred when the airplane impacted high vegetation. The pilot stated that he did not check the fuel tank caps before the flight. The fuel tanks did not contain fuel and fuel caps were not in-place on-scene.
The Cessna 185, Skywagon, owner's manual contained a preflight inspection checklist. That inspection checklist, in part, stated:
4 f. Visually check fuel quantity; then check [the right fuel tank’s] fuel filler cap secure and vent unobstructed. ...
6 a. Visually check fuel quantity; then check [the left fuel tank’s] fuel filler cap secure and vent unobstructed.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN09CA477