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CEN11LA063

2010-10-29 · Robstown, Texas, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport KRBO

Current FAA registration · N3383D

Make / Model
CESSNA 180
Year of manufacture
1955 · 55 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19551230
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A3B64C

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

Factual narrative

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot reported that the airplane experienced a loss of engine power during takeoff approximately 50 to 75 feet above ground level. The pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a field. During the landing the airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the airplane's wings and vertical fin. First responders to the accident site reported that they did not notice any fuel draining from the airplane. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no fuel in the right wing tank and approximately 5 gallons of fuel in the left wing tank. The examination did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot reported that the airplane experienced a loss of engine power during takeoff approximately 50 to 75 feet above ground level. The pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a field. During the landing the airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the airplane's wings and vertical fin. First responders to the accident site reported that they did not notice any fuel draining from the airplane. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no fuel in the right wing tank and approximately 5 gallons of fuel in the left wing tank. The examination did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_CEN11LA063.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (fuel starvation). All research papers