Cessna 182Q accident near Farmerville, Louisiana, October 19, 1998
On October 19, 1998 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N4796N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Farmerville, Louisiana. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. 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 result of the pilot's inadequate preflight. Factors were the pilot's failure to verify the refueling of the airplane and 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
- October 19, 1998 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Farmerville, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N4796N · registry record · serial 182-67374
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine loss power while in cruise flight approximately 40 minutes after departing on an 80 nautical mile flight. The private pilot had flown the airplane on a 530 nautical mile cross country to attend a trade conference with two of his employees. The flight time to his destination was 3.6 hours. The pilot requested that the airplane be topped-off prior to starting his return flight. The pilot stated that the airplane was improperly serviced and the 92 gallon fuel system was not topped off. The pilot estimated that the flight initiated with 61.1 gallons instead of the 92 he had requested. The flight stopped at an airport 80 nautical miles short of the destination to check the weather; however, the pilot elect not to refuel. The engine lost power while in cruise flight due to fuel exhaustion. The airplane landed hard on a short and narrow pasture which was sloping uphill.
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
- Flight time: 240 hours in all; 85 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 117 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,155 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1997; 332 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,960 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M76 Monticello AR at 7:30 pm
- Destination: RSN Ruston LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from MLU, 25 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.