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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

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September 17, 2020 · Cessna 177RG No Series · N2699V

Palatine, IL

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
September 17, 2020
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Palatine, IL
Aircraft
Cessna 177RG No Series (1975)
Tail Number
N2699V
Operator
Zain Aviation
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CEN20LA403

Shortly after departure, the airplane’s engine lost partial power and the pilot conducted a forced landing to a road. During the landing, the airplane struck a utility pole. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and empennage. After the accident, the fuel flow/pressure gauge displayed 5.5 gallons remaining. A short engine run was conducted, and no anomalies were detected. Following the engine run, 1 gallon of fuel was drained, which according to certification documentation, is the unusable fuel. An examination of the airplane’s fuel system revealed no deficiencies. Documentation for the fuel flow/pressure gauge used by the pilot to estimate onboard fuel informs pilots that the fuel remaining is the amount based on initial pilot inputs and that it should never be the primary indicator of fuel quantity and that fuel should be visually checked or measured before takeoff. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with a partial loss of engine power due to fuel starvation

NTSB Probable Cause

The loss of partial engine power due to fuel starvation during departure which resulted in a forced landing and collision with a utility pole.

Full Narrative

On September 17, 2020, about 1810 central daylight time, a Cessna 177RG airplane, N2699V, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Wheeling, Illinois. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. According to the pilot’s statement, the accident occurred on the third flight of the day. At the start of the flight, the fuel flow/pressure gauge displayed 9.5 gallons (he initially reported 6.5 gallons to a National Transportation Safety Board investigator). About 3 minutes after takeoff, the engine lost partial power. The pilot was unsuccessful in restoring engine power, so he elected to perform a forced landing to a road. During the landing roll, the right wing collided with a utility pole. Substantial damage was sustained to the airplane’s right wing and empennage. The fuel flow/pressure gauge displayed a fuel quantity of 5.5 gallons at the accident site. A postaccident engine run was conducted using the fuel that remained on the airplane. The engine ran without any anomalies. There was no contamination observed in the fuel lines from the fuel filter assembly to the fuel pump, fuel pump to the fuel controller, and from the fuel controller to the flow divider. The fuel flow transducer was examined, and no anomalies were observed. After the run was completed, 1 gallon of fuel was drained from the airplane, which appeared uncontaminated. A review of the airplane’s type certificate data sheet revealed the unusable fuel quantity for a Cessna 177RG was 1 gallon. Documentation for the Electronics International Inc. FP-5 fuel flow/pressure gauge states: The fuel remaining displayed by the FP-5 is not a measurement of the fuel in the tanks. It is an amount calculated from the starting fuel level you programmed into the FP-5, minus the fuel used while the engine was running. Even after verifying the calibration of the FP-5 it should never be used as the primary indicator of fuel quantity in the tanks. It is important the pilot visually check/measure the fuel quantity for each tank before takeoff and cross-check these readings against the Fuel Level Gauges and the FP-5. It is possible for any instrument to fail thereby displaying inaccurate high, low, or jumpy readings. Therefore, you must be able to recognize an instrument failure and you must be proficient in operating your aircraft safely in spite of an instrument failure.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time18:10 CDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 177RG No Series
Tail NumberN2699V
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorZain Aviation
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · IO-360-A1B6D · Reciprocating · 200
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 39 · First Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind20° @ 6 kt
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point61 F / 46
Altimeter30.17 inHg
Observation Time17:52
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data