Cessna TR182 accident near Kersey, Colorado, April 28, 2002
On April 28, 2002 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna TR182, registered N787PC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kersey, Colorado. 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
The pilot's inadequate planning decision which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2002 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kersey, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna TR182 · all TR182s on the register
- Registration
- N787PC · registry record · serial R18200867
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he flew direct from Longmont, Colorado to Ankeny, Iowa (533 nautical miles), and put 49.2 gallons of fuel in the airplane. On the return flight, he stopped at Hastings, Nebraska for food and a rest stop. He did not put additional fuel in the airplane during the rest stop. He departed for Longmont, Colorado, and experienced a power failure approximately 2.5 hours later; the pilot performed a forced landing to a highway. During the landing sequence, the pilot "extended the landing gear at the last second," and it failed to fully extend. The front door post bulk head was bent and the bottom of the airplane was badly damaged. The pilot said that the airplane held 92 gallons of fuel (88 gallons usable), but they customarily fueled it to the bottom of the fuel necks, which was approximately 65 gallons usable. A representative of the airplane's manufacturer said that the airplane burned approximately 14 to 15 gallons per hour in cruise flight, with 8 gallons being used for the two takeoffs and climbs to cruise altitude. The pilot also said the wind was strong from the west (maybe 30 knots), for the flight to Ankeny, and the return flight to Longmont.
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: 230 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 178 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 29, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3C5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HSI Hastings NE at 9:00 pm
- Destination: 2V2 Longmont CO
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 18 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 pm from GXY, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.