Cessna 172F N5419R accident near Atlanta, Georgia

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, prior to departure, he calculated that he had 3.5 hours of usable fuel for the 2-hour-15-minute flight. He also indicated that the airplane’s average fuel consumption was 8 gallons per hour. He performed a preflight inspection and noted that the fuel gauges indicated about three-quarters full, which he believed to be about 20 to 30 gallons of fuel. During climbout, the oil door on the engine cowling opened, and the pilot returned to the departure airport to close it. After landing, the pilot taxied to the ramp to secure the door and then departed again. The cross-country flight was uneventful, but, when the airplane was on a gradual descent about 6 miles from the destination airport, the engine lost total power. The pilot attempted to continue to the destination airport, but the airplane descended into trees and impacted the ground in a residential area, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were not breached; recovery personnel removed a total of 1.5 gallons of fuel from the airplane. An examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot believed that the airplane had a fuel capacity of 42 gallons. According to the owner's manual, the airplane had a fuel capacity of 39 gallons, of which 36 gallons were usable.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA12CA036 for the full record.