The pilot reported that the Cessna 172N had 20 gallons of fuel onboard before takeoff from the airport in Talkeetna, Alaska.
After takeoff, when the airplane was about 150 to 200 feet above ground level, the engine lost total power. The pilot made an emergency landing to a snow-covered field. Upon touchdown, the nosewheel separated and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer.
Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector was in the left fuel tank position. About three gallons of fuel were drained from the left tank, and 13 gallons were drained from the right fuel tank. Each tank had an unusable fuel quantity of 1.5 gallons.
The Cessna Pilot’s Operating Handbook required the fuel selector handle to be in the “both” position for takeoffs and landings.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s improper positioning of the fuel selector during takeoff, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
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This March 2022 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Wellll…, There was an AD that required switching to single tank operation on older 172’s after reaching 5,000 feet. Long ago, and not long after purchasing my 1969 172K, my engine QUIT at 9,000 feet altitude. Wife was definitely NOT HAPPY. Fortunately, was able to re-start engine with windmilling propeller once I had descended to a lower altitude.
Turns out that the required AD placard at the fuel selector was missing. Cessna later cured this problem by adding two additional fuel tank vents. Wife happy again and soon rejoined me on very memorable flights for many years until she passed in 2021.
It pays to know your aircraft’s systems.
Jerry King
I am a belt & braces sailor…and aviator. In pre-stickie note days, I’d leave a note taped to the panel if I moved the selector from both, usually when parked on a side slope. Just in case I skimmed over fuel selector valve in the checklist. After all, those things you almost never move, like a Cessna’s fuel valve, cause you to see what you’ve always had.
The only time I ever took a 100-series Cessna’s fuel selector off “both” was during fuel system maintenance, during a post inspection run-up.
Some people select the fuel valve to the left tank in Cessna aircraft after shut-down. This is thought to prevent fuel draining from the fuel vent if the airplane is not parked on a level surface. The checklist should remind the next operator to select the fuel valve to both.
Bottom line is many pilots, regardless of hours, can’t handle the simplest things under some minimal circumstances.
I suspect that she was distracted by the 3 passengers and didn’t switch to the right tank on takeoff.
With 4 people in the seats of an older C172, I suspect that she limited the fuel load to stay below the gross limit.
So, she probably did the start, taxi and runup on the nearly empty left tank, and then intended to use the right tank for the 30-40 minute flight.
The 13 gallons was good for more than 1-1/2 hours flying, so ok.
The pilot looks to be well experienced, and the flight would have been safe with ample reserve fuel.
Why not just leave it on BOTH? I did all my training in 150s, and owned a 172 for a few years. About 125 hours total in Cessnas. There was never any occasion that required me to switch from BOTH to left or right.
Left or right tank may be used in cruise flight if there is an uneven fuel flow causing wing heaviness on one side (per POH). Sometimes the airplane’s loading may cause the same issue. Left or right may be needed for parking on a slope to prevent wing heaviness. However, the checklist includes checking for BOTH before engine start, before takeoff, and before landing (in some models also before descent). So as is recommended over and over, don’t let anything interrupt you from using the checklist.
Ken said words out of my mouth. I have never understood the need for the L-R switch on GA fuel tanks. Early German Volkswagons had such an arrangement allegedly because they couldn’t afford a fuel gauge which were required for aircraft deployment in WW-II. I’ve posed this question on this forum before, but nobody has come back with an historically derived explanation, e.g., the meaning of ‘dead stick,’ etc.
Regards/J
Recently read an article that said the original wooden propellers were called ‘sticks’ and so when you had an engine failure, it was a ‘dead stick’ landing.
The Cessna 150 has a ‘on – off’ fuel selector, as does the Cessna 152.
Most high wing aircraft have gravity flow to the engine, some have a fuel pump , some with carburetors do not.
A low wing aircraft cannot flow fuel to the engine without a pump pulling fuel from a tank. If a tank is empty, the pump will pull air from the tank, if they are connected in a ‘both’ selector, so each tank has to be selected to ensure that fuel is drawn by the pump.
[ the Ercoupe has a unique fuel system].
BTW, the VW Beetle has a 2 position fuel selector. The ‘main’ positikn draws fuel from a stem that is about 1-2 inches above the bottom of the tank.
The ‘reserve’ position selects an opening at the bottom of the tank to use the remaining few gallons of fuel.