Cessna 182B accident near Gainesville, Georgia, April 24, 2006
On April 24, 2006 at about 3:31 pm local time, a Cessna 182B, registered N7110E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gainesville, Georgia (Lee Gilmer Memorial airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots improper preflight planning and preparation 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
- April 24, 2006 · about 3:31 pm local time
- Place
- Gainesville, Georgia · Lee Gilmer Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182B · all 182Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7110E · no longer on the register · serial 52110
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight departed New Smyrna, Florida on the day of the accident at 0845 EDT. At 1131 EDT, a witness stated he observed the airplane flying low over trees and "the pilot was attempting to restart the engine". The airplane collided with the top of a large tree and came to rest upside down on the ground. The witness called 911 and the Hall County Sheriff's Department and Fire Department responded to the accident scene. Fire department personnel stated they did not smell or see any fuel around the crash site. Examination of the airplane by an FAA Inspector showed the left and right main fuel tanks were not breached and did not contain any usable fuel. After recovery of the aircraft from the crash site the engine was operated on the airplane without any evidence of precrash mechanical failure or malfunction. Examination of the airplane fuel system, structure, and flight controls showed no anomalies. Review of the Cessna 182 Owners Manual states on page 1-8, that the left and right main fuel tanks hold 32.5 gallons of fuel of which 27.5 gallons of fuel are useable in all flight conditions. In addition, 3.5 gallons of additional fuel are useable from the left and right main fuel tank in level flight only. According to the "Cruise and Range Performance Chart" in the Cessna 182B Owner's Manual, the aircraft should have used between 23.8 gallons (Maximum Range Setting) and 31.9 gallons (Highest power setting on the chart) of fuel during the flight, if it were flown at 5,000 feet MSL. Review of the approved FAA operator's manual dated July 1981 for the O-470L, revealed in accordance with: Figure-11, at 75% brake horsepower the engine will have a fuel burn rate of 15.4 gallons per hour at sea level, at standard day atmosphere. Available records show the airplane was last fueled on April 17, 2006. It could not be determined if the airplane was flown after this refueling and prior to the accident flight. The amount of fuel onboard the airplane at the time of departure could not be determined.
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: 1,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,401 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X50 New Smyrna Beac FL at 12:45 pm
- Destination: Y89 Kalkaska MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from GVL, 5 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.
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.