Cessna 182H accident near Pueblo, Colorado, August 4, 2001
On August 4, 2001 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Cessna 182H, registered N8549S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pueblo, Colorado (Pueblo Memorial airport). 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 loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's improper fuel selector position. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2001 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Pueblo, Colorado · Pueblo Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182H · all 182Hs on the register
- Registration
- N8549S · no longer on the register · serial 18256649
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During initial climb after takeoff, the engine lost power. The pilot radioed the tower and explained that he was experiencing engine trouble and requested clearance to return to the airport. He realized that he did not have enough altitude to make the runway and identified an abandoned softball field to use for an emergency landing. The airplane struck a berm and a fence just short of the field and nosed over. Although fuel was found in both the left and right wing fuel tanks, the header fuel tank, installed in the fuel system between the fuel selector valve and the fuel strainer, was empty. No fuel was present in the fuel lines leading from the header tank to the fuel pump, fuel strainers, fuel pump, or gascolator. The only fuel found was in the fuel return line at the firewall. An engine manufacturer representative stated that the amount of fuel contained within the fuel system from and including the supplemental fuel tank to the injection system, could sustain operation of the engine for a time period of between two to four minutes depending on the power setting.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 347 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 172 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 9, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,053 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2000; 159 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PUB Pueblo CO
- Destination: MVI Monte Vista CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 26L, 4,073 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from KPUB
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.
Other NTSB records under N8549S 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.