N3138T

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 26, 2023, about 0805 central daylight time (CDT), a Cessna 177 airplane, N3138T, was substantially damaged during an accident near Hot Springs, Arkansas. The pilot was fatally injured and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal cross-country flight.

According to the passenger, the pilot had recently purchased the airplane and they were flying it to their home base near Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The cross-country flight began from Las Cruces International Airport (LRU), Las Cruces, New Mexico, after a new interior was installed.

On June 25, 2023, about 1435 (all times referenced as CDT), the cross-country flight departed LRU with the intended destination of Avenger Field Airport (SWW), Sweetwater, Texas. The flight landed at SWW about 1753 after being airborne for at least 3.3 hours. The passenger stated that despite the airplane being flown with the fuel selector set to both, the right fuel gauge indicated “empty” and the left fuel gauge indicated about “3/4” tank remaining after the flight from LRU to SWW.

The passenger reported that the pilot refueled the airplane while at SWW. According to a fueling receipt, 25.8 gallons of 100 low-lead fuel were dispensed using the self-serve fuel pump at SWW. The passenger recalled that the airplane’s fuel tanks were completely full before the airplane departed SWW.

According to flight track data, about 1849 the airplane departed SWW enroute to Memorial Field Airport (HOT), Hot Springs, Arkansas, as the intended destination. However, due to adverse weather that developed near HOT while enroute, the pilot diverted to J Lynn Helms Sevier County Airport (DEQ), De Queen, Arkansas. According to the passenger, the pilot set the engine speed to 2,300 rpm during cruise flight and when he attempted to lean the mixture the engine would begin “stumbling” when the mixture control was pulled 1.5 to 2 inches aft of full rich. Additionally, the passenger reported that they heard a “metal grinding” noise when the pilot activated the carburetor heat while on approach to the runway at DEQ. The pilot decided to go around and made an uneventful landing on the second approach. The flight landed at DEQ about 2143 after being airborne at least 2.9 hours. According to the passenger, after landing at DEQ the right fuel gauge indicated “empty” and the left fuel gauge indicated “1/4” tank remaining. The pilot and passenger overnighted in De Queen, Arkansas, before continuing onto HOT the following morning.

According to the airport manager at DEQ, about 0714 on the morning of the accident, the pilot attempted to refuel the airplane using the airport’s self-serve fuel pump; however, despite the pilot’s credit card being processed there was no fuel dispensed and the credit card transaction was subsequently voided. The airport manager, who was not present at the time, stated that the self-serve fuel pump operated normally and there was fuel available when he tested it after the accident.

The passenger stated that because the self-serve fuel pump did not dispense fuel, the pilot concluded that there was no fuel available. The pilot subsequently decided that the airplane had enough fuel for the flight from DEQ to HOT. The exact amount of fuel remaining on the airplane, as determined by the pilot, was not communicated to the passenger. However, the passenger opined that if the pilot was content with the amount of fuel remaining, then she was also satisfied with it. The passenger further noted that before they departed DEQ, the right fuel gauge still indicated “empty” and the left fuel gauge indicated “1/4” tank remaining.

According to ADS-B flight track data, at 0724:36 the flight was on initial climb from runway 8 at DEQ. The airplane continued the climb to a final cruise altitude between 6,000 and 6,500 ft mean sea level (msl). According to recorded audio transmissions on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) at HOT, at 0759:59 the pilot transmitted that the airplane was about 10 miles from the airport and that he intended to make a full-stop landing on runway 23. At that time, the airplane was approaching HOT from the southwest, as depicted in figure 1.

At 0802:15 the pilot transmitted on the CTAF that the airplane was “low on fuel” and that he intended to land on runway 5. At that time, the airplane was about 3,700 ft msl and 5.3 statute miles (sm) west-southwest of the runway 5 threshold at HOT.

At 0804:35 the pilot transmitted, “… engine out, coming in runway five, engine out.” At that time, the airplane was about 1,100 ft msl, or about 600 ft above the runway 5 threshold elevation, and 1.8 sm west-southwest of the runway. Airplane performance calculations using ADS-B flight track data indicated that the airplane’s calibrated airspeed was about 63 mph when the pilot transmitted that the airplane had a loss of engine power, as depicted in figure 2.

According to the passenger, the pilot was unable to restore engine power by ensuring the primer was properly stowed and locked, the ignition/start switch was selected to both magnetos, the carburetor heat was on, the throttle was full forward, the mixture control was full forward, and the fuel selector was on both. The passenger stated that the pilot pitched the airplane for best glide speed, and she assisted by moving the pitch trim to a “full nose up” position.

Figure 1. Plot of airplane flight track data.

Figure 2. Plots of airplane altitude, ground speed, true airspeed, calibrated airspeed, and

vertical speed.

Figure 3. Plots of airplane heading, roll angle, and flight path angle.

At 0805:27, the final recorded ADS-B track point was about 600 ft msl (200 ft agl) and 0.8 sm from the runway 5 threshold. The airplane was about 0.16 sm west-southwest of the point-of-impact with the lake. Airplane performance calculations using ADS-B track data indicated that the airplane was at a calibrated airspeed of about 61 mph, descending about 450 feet per minute (fpm), and was nearly wings level, as depicted in figure 2 and figure 3.

The passenger stated that she lost sight of the airport as the airplane descended over the lake. According to the passenger, the pilot intended to land on the lake to avoid the trees and houses that surrounded the lake. However, while above the lake, the airplane “stalled” as it descended through tree top height. The aerodynamic stall resulted in the airplane nose dropping almost straight down.

The passenger stated that the airplane immediately started to sink after it impacted the lake. She recalled remaining conscious but unable to see anything in the murky green lake water. Believing that she would drown, she instinctively unfastened her seat belt and swam to the surface. The pilot did not emerge from the submerged airplane.

After the accident, the passenger told at least one individual who provided her assistance that the airplane ran out of fuel while on approach to the airport. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONA review of the pilot’s flight logbook established that he began his flight training on September 3, 2011, and received his private pilot certificate on November 2, 2012, with 74.1 hours total flight experience. The final logbook entry was dated June 18, 2023, at which time he had 147.4 hours total flight experience. The entirety of his logged flight experience was flown in Cessna 172 airplanes. The pilot’s last regulatory flight review was completed on October 7, 2022.

Based on available flight track data, the pilot flew three additional flights after his final logbook entry. The three flights were flown after he purchased the accident airplane. On June 25, 2023, the pilot flew a 3.3-hour flight from LRU to SWW and a 2.9-hour flight from SWW to DEQ. Then, on the day of the accident, the pilot flew the 0.7-hour flight from DEQ to HOT. The combined 6.9 hours was the pilot’s only flight experience in a Cessna 177 airplane.

When the pilot’s logged flight time was combined with the three additional flights, he had 154.3 hours total flight experience, of which 142.3 hours were flown as pilot-in-command. The pilot had flown 11.6 hours in the previous year, 9.6 hours in the previous 6 months, 8.4 hours during the past 90 days, and 7.4 hours during the 30 days before the accident. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONA review of available maintenance documentation established that the airframe, engine, and propeller had accumulated 2,610.9 hours since new. The engine had accumulated 1,103.5 hours since the last top overhaul. The airplane had accumulated 171.4 hours since the last annual inspection completed on August 31, 2022.

According to the Cessna 177 Owner’s Manual, the airplane was equipped with a 49-gallon capacity (48 gallons usable) fuel system, consisting of two 24.5-gallon wing fuel tanks (24 gallons usable each). The fuel selector valve positions included left, right, both, and off.

The airplane’s expected fuel consumption rate was 8 to 8.5 gph if the engine was operated at 75% brake horsepower and properly leaned for cruise flight, yielding an airplane fuel endurance of 5.7 to 6 hours. Alternatively, if the engine was operated at less than 75% brake horsepower and leaned for cruise flight, the expected fuel consumption rate was 6 to 8 gph and the fuel endurance was 6 to 8 hours.

The airplane had a glide ratio of about 10:1 when flown at the best glide speed of 80 mph, with the flaps retracted, a windmilling propeller, and zero wind.

The engine-off, wings-level, aerodynamic stall speed at maximum gross weight with fully extended flaps was 53 mph. Similarly, the stall speed was 64 mph with the flaps fully retracted. AIRPORT INFORMATIONA review of available maintenance documentation established that the airframe, engine, and propeller had accumulated 2,610.9 hours since new. The engine had accumulated 1,103.5 hours since the last top overhaul. The airplane had accumulated 171.4 hours since the last ann...