Event CEN17LA060

Factual narrative

On December 21, 2016, about 1020 eastern standard time, a Cessna 175C airplane, N8381T, impacted a fence post and terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power on approach to the Holmes County Airport (10G), Millersburg, Ohio. The pilot sustained a minor injury and the passenger was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by private individuals under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Davis Airport (W50), Laytonsville, Maryland, about 0700 and was destined for 10G.The pilot reported that he conducted a "thorough preflight" inspection before takeoff from W50. The fuel samples drained from the airplane fuel system did not contain any contamination. After takeoff, the pilot switched to the left fuel tank for the cruise portion of the flight. About 5 miles from 10G, he completed the before landing checklist. However, he "failed to position the fuel selector to [the] both" position at that time, which "set the stage for fuel exhaustion." On final approach, about 1/3 of a mile from the runway about 1,600 ft mean sea level, the engine lost power. He checked the fuel selector, found it still set to the left tank and changed it to the right tank. He subsequently executed a forced landing to an open area at the base of a hill. The pilot stated that no mechanical malfunctions or failures preceded the accident. The airplane came to rest adjacent to a wire mesh fence. The nose landing gear separated, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the engine mount and firewall were deformed during the forced landing. The right wing was partially separated from the fuselage at the aft spar attachment. The right wing also exhibited a leading edge dent consistent with impact to a fence post. The left wing was deformed upward near the wing tip consistent with ground contact due to the collapsed landing gear. The airplane owner's manual specified that the fuel selector should be set to the "both on" position before landing. The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. The pilot reported that, after takeoff, he switched to the left fuel tank for the cruise portion of the flight. He added that, about 5 miles from the destination airport, he completed the Before Landing checklist; however, he "failed to position the fuel selector to [the] both" position at that time, which "set the stage for fuel exhaustion." The engine subsequently lost power. He checked the fuel selector, found that it was still set to the left tank, and moved it to the right tank. He subsequently executed a forced landing to an open area at the base of a hill, during which the airplane impacted a fence and sustained substantial damage to the firewall and right wing. The pilot stated that no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane preceded the accident. The pilot's failure to move the fuel selector handle to the "both" position in accordance with the Before Landing checklist resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid management - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of checklist-Pilot - C
• — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Fence/fence post-Contributed to outcome