On July 27, 2003, a Cessna 177 (registration N2336Y) was involved in an aviation accident near Murdock, NE. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident were the trees and unsuitable terrain. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot and passenger departed after fueling; en route, fuel gauges indicated less fuel than expected. The engine lost power, was briefly restarted, then failed. A forced landing on a highway resulted in a tree strike.
Accident Overview
The airplane sustained substantial damage when it struck a tree during a forced landing. The pilot reported that after fueling the aircraft, he and a passenger departed for a cross-country flight.
Sequence of Events
While en route, the pilot observed that the fuel gauges were indicating a lower amount of fuel than anticipated. During cruise flight, the engine lost power. The pilot was able to restart the engine after switching to the other fuel tank, but the engine ran only for a short time before failing again. The pilot notified the approach controller but could not reach a nearby airport. He performed a forced landing on a local highway. During the landing roll, the airplane struck tree branches.
Post-Accident Findings
Subsequent to the accident, the pilot stated that he discovered "there was little fuel if any left in the aircraft." A test run of the accident aircraft's engine revealed no anomalies.