NTSB Factual Report

On April 28, 2002, at approximately 1630 mountain daylight time, a Cessna TR182, N787PC, was substantially damaged during a gear up forced landing on a highway near Kersey, Colorado. The instrument rated private pilot and his two passengers were not injured. Air West Flight Center, Inc., of Longmont, Colorado, was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight that originated from Hastings, Nebraska, approximately 2.5 hours before the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.

The pilot said that he flew direct from Longmont, Colorado to Ankeny, Iowa (533 nautical miles), and put 49.2 gallons of fuel in the airplane. On the return flight, he stopped at Hastings, Nebraska for food and a rest stop. He did not put additional fuel in the airplane during the rest stop. He departed for Longmont, Colorado, and experienced a power failure approximately 2.5 hours later; the pilot performed a forced landing to a highway. During the landing sequence, the pilot "extended the landing gear at the last second," and it failed to fully extend. The front door post bulk head was bent and the bottom of the airplane was badly damaged.

The pilot said that the airplane held 92 gallons of fuel (88 gallons usable), but they customarily fueled it to the bottom of the fuel necks, which was approximately 65 gallons usable. A representative of the airplane's manufacturer said that the airplane burned approximately 14 to 15 gallons per hour in cruise flight, with 8 gallons being used for the two takeoffs and climbs to cruise altitude. The pilot also said the wind was strong from the west (maybe 30 knots), for the flight to Ankeny, and the return flight to Longmont.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's inadequate planning decision which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power.