Cessna 177RG N52495 accident near Tallahassee, Florida

Probable cause

Pilot's inaccurate fuel management resulting in fuel exhaustion.

NTSB analysis

The pilot planed a flight from Frederick, Maryland to Tallahassee, FL. While on approach to the Tallahassee Regional Airport, the engine lost power and the airplane collided with powerlines and crashed onto a y road. A Leon County Sheriff's Office representative stated he heard over the dispatch radio communications to contact the local airport; an airplane was having problems. A few moments later he observed an explosion at the top of the power lines located on the southeast corner of the intersection, almost immediately the entire city in the vicinity went completely dark. He observed flames rain down over the intersection. Approximately 6 to 8 people ran from the gas station area located on the southwest corner of the intersection. This all took place as he heard over the dispatch radio "it's down, it's down." He observed an object strike the ground. The airplane was near vertical with the front of the airplane in the grass at the southwest corner of the intersection. He came to the aid of the pilot, the sole occupant in the airplane. He observed the pilot secured by the seatbelt and was pinned in the crashed cockpit area of the airplane. Fire rescue extracted the pilot and transported him to the local hospital. The responding FAA inspector stated that the airplane crashed 3 miles northeast of the Tallahassee Regional Airport, during an emergency landing. The airplane struck electrical power lines and a pole during the approach. The airplane impacted the ground nose first and remained in a near vertical position. There was no post crash fire and the fuel tanks were empty at the initial inspection of the airplane wreckage. During the interview with the pilot, he admitted to being embarrassed because he ran out of fuel in flight. The pilot stated "I even rocked the wings to use every drop of fuel". The pilot had flown about 5 hours 34 minutes at the time of the accident and he departed with 60 gallons of fuel.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for MIA08CA054 for the full record.