Accident Overview
On June 18, 2011, about 1300 mountain daylight time, a 1983 Cessna 172P (registration N65654) impacted terrain about three miles northeast of Mount Pleasant Airport, Mount Pleasant, Utah. The private pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries; the other three passengers received minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was a personal pleasure flight under 14 CFR Part 91, operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed.
Flight History
Earlier that day, the pilot borrowed the airplane from a friend for his son to make a parachute jump at a town celebration in Rocky Ridge, Utah. After the jump, the pilot flew to Nephi Municipal Airport to retrieve his son. While there, he received a call from a friend in Mount Pleasant asking if his son could make another parachute jump into a field near his house. The pilot agreed and flew to Mount Pleasant. After the second jump, the pilot landed at Mount Pleasant Airport. The friend arrived with his wife and three children and asked for a short flight. The pilot agreed, with the three children seated in the rear (two sharing one seatbelt) and the friend kneeling on the floor where the right front seat had been removed, not using any restraint. The pilot used the lap belt of his three-point harness.
After takeoff, the pilot flew over the friend's house and along a ridge. The friend asked to descend for a closer look at a campground. As the pilot leveled off, the engine sputtered and stopped. The pilot moved the fuel selector from BOTH to right tank, primed, and attempted restart, then switched to left tank, then back to BOTH, all unsuccessful. He lowered flaps to about 15 degrees and turned toward the airport. Realizing he could not reach it, he aimed for a road but diverted to an open field after seeing cars. During touchdown, the airplane hit sagebrush and a rock, causing the pilot and friend to hit the instrument panel.
Investigation Findings
Investigators determined that the airplane's fuel tanks were not refueled after a flight the previous day by another individual who had access to the hangar. That flight left about five gallons in one tank and three in the other. On the morning of the accident, the pilot did not physically measure fuel levels but relied on fuel gauges, which indicated near full on the right and about 3/8 on the left. During the flight to Mount Pleasant, the gauges fluctuated, showing near empty at times. The pilot did not recheck fuel quantity before the final takeoff.
Post-accident examination found no fuel in either tank and no breaches or leaks. Fuel caps were tight and in good condition. The fuel quantity gauges and senders were tested and functioned correctly, showing smooth linear response. The airplane was equipped with steps and handles for accessing the fuel filler necks. All restraint systems remained attached, with only impact damage to the right front seatbelt buckle.
The pilot stated that he did not use the dipstick because he could not find a safe object to stand on to reach the wing tops.