Cessna 182G accident near Fairfield, Idaho, September 8, 2007
On September 8, 2007 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182G, registered N2420R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairfield, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power as a result of fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection. Contributing to the accident 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
- September 8, 2007 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fairfield, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182G · all 182Gs on the register
- Registration
- N2420R · no longer on the register · serial 18255520
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the pre-flight inspection, the pilot did not visually check the quantity of fuel in the airplane's tanks. Approximately 2 hours into the flight, the engine lost power, and the pilot executed a forced landing to a clearing filled with sand, gravel and brush. During the landing roll, the nose wheel sank into the sand, and the nose landing gear separated. An FAA inspector examined the airplane at the accident site and found no fuel in either the left or right fuel tank or in the header tank just forward of the firewall. Additionally, no fuel was present at the fuel injector spider on top of the engine. The inspector noted no evidence of fuel leakage onto the ground at the accident site or on the outer skins of the airplane.
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: 2,500 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,550 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TWF Twin Falls ID at 1:00 pm
- Destination: TWF
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.