Cessna 180 accident near St. Johns, Arizona, November 3, 2013
On November 3, 2013 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 1954 Cessna 180, registered N3148C, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near St. Johns, Arizona (St Johns Industrial Air Park 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
A total loss of engine power while on final approach due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot’s improper preflight fuel planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 2013 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- St. Johns, Arizona · St Johns Industrial Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180, built 1954 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N3148C · registry record · serial 30947
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot was conducting a cross-country flight. While on final approach to the destination airport, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power. The pilot subsequently made a forced off-airport landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. During the recovery of the wreckage, no fuel was found in the right wing fuel tank and less than 4 gallons of fuel was found in the left wing fuel tank. The fuel system was intact, and no sign of fuel leakage from either tank was observed. The engine was test run with no anomalies noted. Although the pilot had conducted the flight many times before without incident, given the evidence, it is likely that the pilot did not ensure that adequate fuel was onboard the airplane for this flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the total loss of engine power.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 470 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 9.8 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 21, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,833.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2013; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 387 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DHT Dalhart TX at 5:00 pm
- Destination: KSJN St. Johns AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 3,400 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 19 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from KSJN, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.