Cessna 172M Fuel Exhaustion Incident in Quebec

Flight Details and Incident Overview On a visual flight rules (VFR) flight, a Cessna 172M with registration C-GSZC and serial number 17264826 was traveling from Sept-Îles, Quebec, to Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec. The aircraft carried the pilot and three passengers. After a brief stopover in Rivière-du-Loup to drop off the passengers, the pilot decided to continue to Québec, Quebec, without refueling. During the flight, the pilot encountered adverse weather and requested special VFR clearance to land at Québec Airport. Approximately nine nautical miles from the threshold of Runway 24, the Lycoming O-320-E2D engine sputtered and stopped. At around 2009 eastern daylight time, the pilot declared an emergency and executed a forced landing on the de la Capitale highway. The aircraft struck a street lamp, and the nose dropped before impact with the ground. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the aircraft was severely damaged. ## Pilot Background and Flight Planning The pilot held the necessary certifications and qualifications for the flight, with a total of 180 flying hours. The flight was part of the pilot's commercial pilot license instruction, requiring a cross-country flight. The pilot had planned a route from Québec to Port-Menier, Quebec, with a stopover in Rivière-du-Loup to pick up three passengers, and a return trip the following day. This cross-country flight had been postponed three times due to adverse weather. The weather cleared the day before the flight, and the flying school instructor approved the cross-country flight. The pilot flew from Québec to Rivière-du-Loup and then to Sept-Îles. During the flight, weather conditions deteriorated, forcing the pilot to land at Sept-Îles Airport under special VFR conditions. Later that evening, after refueling, the pilot intended to take off on a special VFR flight to continue to Port-Menier. However, the flight service specialist strongly discouraged the flight, explaining that the pilot was not authorized for a special night VFR flight. The pilot stayed overnight in Sept-Îles at a hotel with the passengers. ## Fuel Planning and Regulatory Requirements The next day, after checking the weather at Port-Menier, the pilot decided not to fly there but to return to Rivière-du-Loup and then Québec. After flying over one passenger's cottage, the pilot landed in Rivière-du-Loup to drop off the passengers. The flight time from Sept-Îles to Rivière-du-Loup was 3.4 hours. After checking the weather, the pilot decided to continue to Québec without refueling. Without consulting the Cessna 172 flight manual, the pilot believed the aircraft's flight endurance was 6 hours. Considering the 3.4 hours already flown and the planned 1.5 hours to Québec, the pilot felt refueling was unnecessary. According to the Canadian Aviation Regulations, a pilot in day VFR flight must have sufficient fuel to fly to the destination aerodrome and then for 30 minutes at normal cruising speed, or 45 minutes at night. The aircraft's two fuel tanks had a total capacity of 38 U.S. gallons. The Cessna 172 owner's manual stated that flight endurance at maximum weight of 2,300 pounds could vary between 3.9 and 6.3 hours, depending on power and altitude. To achieve 6 hours of endurance, the aircraft would need to fly at a constant 10,000 feet with power at 2,400 rpm and a leaner mixture. There was no indication these conditions were met during the last two legs of the flight. ## Investigation Findings Examination of the aircraft at the accident site concluded that no technical defects caused the engine stoppage. Verification of the fuel tanks confirmed that the engine stopped due to fuel exhaustion. A laboratory report, LP 069/03 – ELT & GPS Examination, was completed and is available from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. The Transportation Safety Board's investigation concluded that fuel exhaustion caused the engine to stop, requiring the forced landing. The pilot did not use the Cessna 172 flight manual to plan the required fuel for the cross-country flight and believed there was enough fuel to fly from Rivière-du-Loup to Québec. The Board authorized the release of this report on 11 May 2005.