| Crash location | 42.160278°N, 121.716667°W |
| Nearest city | Klamath Falls, OR
42.224867°N, 121.781670°W 5.6 miles away |
| Tail number | N69183 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 17 May 2006 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 152 |
| Additional details: | None |
On May 17, 2006, at about 1400 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N69183, sustained substantial damage during an off airport forced landing subsequent to a loss of engine power. The airplane touched down in a field near the Klamath Falls Airport, Klamath Falls, Oregon, and nosed over. The airplane is registered to Skinner Leasing, LLC and was being operated by the private pilot as a cross-country flight in accordance with the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan had been activated. The flight originated from Plush, Oregon, approximately 90 minutes prior to the accident. The pilot's planned destination was Ashland, Oregon. The pilot had flown from Ashland to Plush earlier that day and was returning to Ashland when the accident occurred.
In a telephone conversation and subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that during the return leg to Ashland, he become disoriented and requested vectors to the nearest airport because of concerns about the aircraft's total time aloft and "...my fuel situation." Seattle Center advised the pilot that Chiloquin, Oregon, was approximately 10 miles north-northwest of his position, however it was not known if fuel was available at the airport and the ATC Specialist asked the pilot if Klamath Falls, approximately 35 miles from his location, would be an option. The pilot believed he had sufficient fuel to complete the flight to Klamath, however approximately 2 miles from reaching the airport the airplane's engine began to surge and eventually quit. The pilot stated he was unable to reach the runway and elected to land in an open field. As the airplane touched down in the field, it encountered soft muddy terrain and "flipped nose over." The pilot reported that he believed he had approximately 15 minutes of fuel remaining when the airplane lost engine power, however he later stated the airplane "just ran out of fuel."
The airplane was "topped" prior to departing Ashland. The Hobbs meter indicated that the airplane had flown approximately 3.6 hours since it had been fueled.
The pilot's inadequate in-flight decision by failing to refuel while en route, resulting in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power. Soft terrain was a contributing factor.