Cessna 182Q accident near Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, June 19, 2002
On June 19, 2002 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N759TY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to secure the fuel cap after refueling that resulted in fuel siphoning from the right main fuel tank and the subsequent fuel supply exhaustion, and the total loss of engine power. The airplane was damaged during the forced landing to a field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2002 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lawrenceburg, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N759TY · registry record · serial 18266257
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated she refueled the airplane twice before departing on the VFR flight. She completed a preflight inspection of the airplane after the first refueling. She requested an additional 5 gallons of fuel be added to the right main fuel tank. She did not conduct another preflight inspection to ensure the fuel had been added or check the fuel cap before she departed. The pilot reported that she did not recheck the fuel caps after the second refueling. The airplane experienced a total loss of engine power in cruise flight. A forced landing was made to a field. The airplane collided with plowed furrows on landing flare/touchdown, and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of a pre crash mechanical malfunction. The left and right main fuel tanks were not ruptured and no fuel was present in either fuel tank. Fuel streaking was present on the top of the right wing and the right main fuel cap was not secured.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,186 hours in all; 745 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,066 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,763 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 8, 2002; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HOT Hot Springs AR at 4:54 pm
- Destination: FYM Fayetteville TN
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 7:37 pm from 2M2, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL02LA127.