Accident Summary
On the day of the accident, the pilot and a passenger flew from the pilot's home airport to a destination airport approximately one hour away. Before departing the destination airport, the pilot performed several touch-and-go landings at night for currency reasons. Subsequently, the pilot and passenger departed for the return flight.
After about an hour of flight, the pilot declared an emergency and was radar vectored to the closest airport. She advised air traffic control that the airplane was "out of fuel" and that she hoped to make it to the runway. The airplane impacted a utility pole and a building approximately 1/4 mile from the end of the runway.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. Four gallons of fuel were drained from the right fuel tank, and the left tank was empty. The pilot had refueled the airplane on the day prior to the accident at an airport 50 miles from her home airport. According to the Cessna 177 Owner's Manual, the average fuel burn rate was between 8 gallons per hour (gph) and 10 gph.
Toxicological testing performed on the pilot's blood detected alprazolam (a prescription anti-anxiety medication also known by the trade name Xanax) at a level consistent with recent ingestion of an impairing dose of the medication. Testing additionally detected diazepam (a prescription anti-anxiety medication also known by the trade name Valium) in the pilot's blood. The two medications detected are not typically indicated for use together. The pilot, a self-employed psychologist, had not reported any mental conditions or use of medications on her applications for airman medical certificate.
Conclusion
The investigation did not identify any mechanical issues with the aircraft. The fuel distribution indicated one tank was empty and the other contained four gallons. The presence of impairing medications in the pilot's system was noted, along with the pilot's failure to disclose these medications on medical applications.