Accident Overview
On July 4, 2022, at approximately 1901 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172M, registration N12115, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Akron, Ohio. The pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was being operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight History
The pilot and passenger were returning from Connecticut and made a stop at Skyhaven Airport (76N) in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, to refuel before continuing to Weltzien Skypark Airport (15G) in Wadsworth, Ohio, the pilot's home airport. According to automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, the airplane was first detected at 1627 shortly after departing 76N. It climbed to about 4,500 feet mean sea level (msl) and proceeded west for approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes.
The pilot reported that during descent toward 15G, he observed the fuel gauges indicating lower levels than he had ever seen. He decided to divert to Akron Fulton Airport (AKR) to purchase fuel and turned southwest. Shortly after the turn, the engine stopped producing power. The passenger noted that "all of a sudden, everything got quiet," to which the pilot responded, "We're out of fuel." The pilot executed a forced landing to a parking lot. During the final approach, the landing gear struck trees, causing the airplane to pitch down. Track data showed that after the southwesterly turn, the airplane descended and impacted the parking lot 0.9 nautical mile short of runway 25 at AKR.
Examination Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the accident site and found that the airplane impacted the parking lot nose-first, substantially damaging the fuselage and right wing. No fuel odor was detected at the site.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no fuel in the fuel lines or carburetor bowl, and only a trace amount of fuel in the fuel filter. The fuel selector showed no preimpact anomalies. The left and right fuel tanks were removed and examined; no leaks were found in the left fuel tank, while the right fuel tank was impact-damaged and breached. The left fuel tank screen was unobstructed. The airplane's endurance was about 3.9 hours with 38 gallons of useable fuel.
Fuel Analysis
Fuel receipts confirmed that the pilot purchased fuel at each stop. The airport manager at 76N watched the pilot fuel the airplane and believed he "topped off both tanks." The pilot stated that he occasionally leaned the mixture but not always, and on the accident flight he was "fighting a headwind... and was running [the engine] more rich than normal." He typically set power to 2,350-2,400 rpm.
Using the Owner's Manual Cruise & Performance Range Chart at maximum gross weight with standard conditions, zero wind, and lean mixture, fuel consumption would be 8.1 gallons per hour (gph) at 75% power and 5,000 ft msl. Based on ADS-B data, the first flight was 2.2 hours. Adding 1.75 gallons for takeoff and an estimated 1 gallon for a go-around maneuver performed at 76N, total fuel consumed from the first leg would have been 20.57 gallons. The fuel receipt from 76N indicated 11.23 gallons were purchased, resulting in 28.66 gallons available for the accident flight. The accident flight was 2.6 hours, with fuel consumption of 22.92 gallons including climb fuel. Under standard conditions, 5.74 gallons would have remained. The Owner's Manual notes that allowances for reserve, headwinds, takeoff, climb, and mixture variations are not included in the chart.
The Lycoming O-320 series engine Operator's Manual indicates fuel consumption of 8.8 gph at 2,350 rpm (65% economy cruise). At this rate, the first flight consumed 22.11 gallons, leaving 15.89 gallons. Adding the 11.23 gallons purchased gave 27.12 gallons for the accident flight. The accident flight consumed 24.74 gallons, leaving 2.38 gallons. These calculations do not account for leaning or fuel used during start, taxi, and run-up.