Probable cause
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot’s improper fuel management.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that he was descending to land after his final flight of the day. The airplane was about 1,500 to 1,700 feet above ground level and about 1.25 miles from the airport when the engine lost total power. The pilot made an emergency landing to an open field, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that the fuel gauges were unreliable, that he had incorrectly estimated the fuel quantity remaining, and that the loss of engine power was due to him running out of fuel. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed 1 to 2 gallons of fuel remaining in each fuel tank.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12CA016 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Oct 12, 2011
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Skiatook, Oklahoma
- Nearest airport
- Skiatook Municipal Airport (2F6)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 182A
- N-number
- N6171B
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Skydiving
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.