Cessna 185 accident near Lovelock, Nevada, August 5, 2018
On August 5, 2018 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1961 Cessna 185, registered N9867X, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Lovelock, Nevada. 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 in-flight fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total 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
- August 5, 2018 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lovelock, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 Undesignat, built 1961 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N9867X · registry record · serial 185-0067
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, he descended the airplane due to strong winds and determined that the airplane had about 10.9 gallons of fuel remaining, which he equated to about 1 hour of flight. He added that, about 6 miles from the destination airport, the airplane "ran out of gas" and that the engine lost power. He performed a forced landing on a field, and, during the landing flare, the left main landing gear impacted a berm near the edge of the field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Other weather encounter during enroute (cruise)
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 967 hours in all; 234 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,000 as pilot in command; 36 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 26, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 2018; 4,266 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,197 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO 520 D (piston); 2,871 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3U2 Yellow Pine ID at 3:00 pm
- Destination: Lovelock NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KLOL, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 28, 2019. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
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.