Cessna A185F accident near Mapleton, Maine, July 22, 2012
On July 22, 2012 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N5168E, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Mapleton, Maine (Northern Maine Regional airport). 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 pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power, and his use of an improper engine restart procedure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2012 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mapleton, Maine · Northern Maine Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5168E · no longer on the register · serial 18503937
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a cross-country flight at an altitude of about 2,500 feet mean sea level and about 5 nautical miles from the destination airport, the pilot observed a sudden decrease in engine power. After activating the high-power fuel boost pump setting and subsequently switching fuel tanks, the pilot performed a forced landing to a nearby field; the boost pump remained activated for the rest of the flight. During the landing, the airplane collided with trees, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. Fuel normally flows by gravity from each wing’s fuel tank to a three-position selector valve. The selector valve then allows fuel flow from either the left wing tank, the right wing tank, or both tanks simultaneously. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no fuel in the right wing tank, 10 to 12 gallons of fuel in the left wing tank, and unobstructed fuel lines from the left wing tank to the fuel selector. A visual engine examination and engine test run with fuel supplied directly to the fuel selector revealed no engine operating anomalies, indicating that the pilot likely had the right fuel tank selected when the engine first lost power. When the pilot attempted to regain engine power, he left the auxiliary fuel pump activated for the rest of the flight, well beyond the 3- to 5-second interval dictated by the airplane’s engine restart procedures, which likely resulted in the engine flooding.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 430 hours in all; 202 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 398 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 23, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,747 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 12, 2012; 310 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Ashland ME at 5:30 pm
- Destination: KPQI Presque Isle ME
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from KCAR, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
16 documents, released by the NTSB on July 8, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.