Cessna 182E N3152Y accident near Middletown Springs, Vermont

Probable cause

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

NTSB analysis

The airplane departed from a private airport that did not have fuel available for purchase. The pilot reported that he elected to refuel while en route to his destination instead of other airports located near the departure airport. The pilot further reported that upon reaching the airport that he intended to refuel at, he found it was closed and diverted to another airport. At that time, he noticed that the airplane's fuel gauge needles were "bouncing off empty." The airplane subsequently experienced a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and forward portion of the fuselage. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane and had he received a full weather briefing prior to the flight, he would have known about the closed airport and planned accordingly.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA13CA427 for the full record.