Cessna 182B accident near Gakona, Alaska, July 31, 2012
On July 31, 2012 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182B, registered N7150E, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Gakona, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper fuel planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2012 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Gakona, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182B · all 182Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7150E · no longer on the register · serial 52150
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was ferrying the airplane from Washington to Alaska. About 40 minutes into the sixth leg of the trip, the airplane's engine lost all power, and the pilot made a forced landing to a tree-covered field, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. A review of the pilot's fueling receipts, along with the flight times on each of the legs, revealed that the engine was consuming an average of 14.6 gallons per hour (gph) of fuel during the first four legs of the trip. On the next leg, the fuel consumption rose to an average of 17.13 gph. The airplane had flown a total time of 3:10:48, from the time the pilot last refueled. According to the airplane manufacturers cruise and range performance charts, if flown in accordance with the notes on the chart, the airplane should have had enough fuel to fly between four and five hours. However, if the most recent calculated actual fuel burn of 17.13 gph was used, the airplanes fuel endurance would have been about 3 hours 12 minutes. Given the pilot's statement that he did not lean the fuel mixture during the leg before the accident leg, the calculated fuel consumption on that leg, and the absence of fuel found in the fuel tanks postaccident, it is likely that the engine was using considerably more fuel than the pilot had calculated by the performance charts. The investigation was unable to determine if the unattached fuel bladder fasteners would have an effect on fuel quantity. Also, given the lack of anomaly during the test engine run, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,014 hours in all; 84 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,585 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2012; 40 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAOR Northway AK at 12:00 pm
- Destination: PAGK Gulkana AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PAGK, 54 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.