Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On August 23, 1997, at 1030 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182A, N4930D, nosed over during landing roll following a forced landing approximately 5 miles east of Delta, Colorado. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this local area personal flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Delta, Colorado, (1V9) about 1000.

According to the pilot, a total loss of power occurred while he was in cruise flight over Grande Mesa at 11,000 feet above mean sea level. He said he attempted to glide to a dirt strip to the south of the mesa and when he realized he would not make the field of choice, he landed in an open field. According to his statement, a ditch transected the field and when the aircraft struck the ditch, during landing roll, the nose landing gear was sheared off and the aircraft nosed over causing damage to the top of the fuselage, vertical stabilizer, both wings and the engine mounts.

In his report to the Board, (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) the pilot stated that he thought he had about 11 gallons of fuel aboard the aircraft, according to the fuel gauges, when he took off. He said that when the engine lost power, the fuel gauges showed approximately 1/4 tank each. The pilot said the engine "quit due to fuel exhaustion" and that there was no mechanical malfunction other than the fuel gauges being inaccurate.

According to the aircraft owner's manual, the total fuel capacity of the aircraft was is 65 gallons with 5 gallons unusable and the fuel gauges were marked E,1/4,1/2,3/4,F. These markings do not indicate gallons of fuel remaining by any direct method. Failure by the pilot to properly plan for the flight in that the fuel aboard was insufficient for the planned flight. Factors were: inaccurate fuel gauges and terrain condition for the forced landing.