Cessna R182 accident near Granger, Texas, April 11, 2009
On April 11, 2009 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna R182, registered N756BZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Granger, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to visually verify that sufficient fuel was on board prior to flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2009 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Granger, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R182 · all R182s on the register
- Registration
- N756BZ · no longer on the register · serial R18201033
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on the second leg of a cross-country flight when the airplane's engine momentarily decreased in power and then returned to normal. The pilot observed that the airplane's left fuel tank was indicating empty and the right fuel gauge was indicating less than one fourth of a tank. While attempting to return to the departure airport, the engine "sputtered" and lost all power. The pilot elected to leave the landing gear and flaps retracted while executing a forced landing in a ditch. The airplane came to rest in an upright position and the pilot and passengers exited unassisted. The airplane's fuselage and left wing sustained structural damage. A visual inspection of the airplane's fuel tanks revealed a residual amount of fuel. The pilot further reported that he did not perform a visual inspection of the airplane's fuel quantity before departure.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incomplete action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not inspected
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,013 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 793 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 23, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,841 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 2, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aurora Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: GTU Georgetown TX at 2:20 pm
- Destination: LHB Hearne TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; ovct at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.