NTSB Factual Report

On June 29, 2002, at 1230 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N725EC, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it nosed over on an open dessert area following a forced landing attempt, near Hite, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating without a flight plan under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot and two passengers on board the airplane reported no injuries. The cross country flight originated at Boulder, Colorado, at 0915, and was en route to Halls Crossing, Utah.

The pilot reported that he was about 30 miles away from the airport when the airplane's engine lost power. He said he tried to find a place to land. The pilot said, "I found a very small dirt road, so I turned base and then final for it. We had a big tailwind at this point and we overshot the road. I then turned to the right and set it down in the middle of the desert. The landing was soft until we ran out of room and hit a ditch. We almost stopped and the front tire dug in, and it lifted us straight up and then we rolled over slowly on to the top of the plane."

In his statement to a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, the pilot said that he ran out of fuel.

An examination of the airplane showed the airplane's nose gear broken aft and resting near a 2 foot deep ditch. The firewall showed buckling. The fiberglass cap of the vertical stabilizer was crushed downward. One of the two propeller blades was bent aft. Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the airplane's engine and engine controls showed no anomalies. An examination of the fuel system showed no fuel in the tanks. There was no smell of fuel prevalent at the site.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's improper in-flight planning resulting in fuel exhaustion. A factor relating to the accident was the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing attempt.