Cessna 182Q accident near Ballinger, Texas, July 7, 2009
On July 7, 2009 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N7589S, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Ballinger, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate pre-flight planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2009 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ballinger, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N7589S · no longer on the register · serial 18265238
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During his pre-flight check, the pilot estimated that he had eight gallons of fuel on-board the airplane. He departed with the intention of obtaining fuel but by-passed two nearby airfields with fuel service in favor of an airport in the vicinity of the accident location. Prior to reaching his destination and while in cruise flight, the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot selected a field for a forced landing. During the approach to landing, the airplane struck a fence and a tree before coming to rest upright in the field. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the pilot was not injured. The pilot's operating handbook for the Cessna 182 states there are four gallons of usable fuel on board the aircraft.
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 defining event
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: 310 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 8, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KT88 Colorado City TX at 9:00 pm
- Destination: E30 Ballinger TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from KSJT, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N7589S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.