Event FTW94LA112

Factual narrative

On March 30, 1994, at 1554 central standard time, a Cessna 180, N4646B, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Austin, Texas. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. In an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot stated that on final approach the aircraft lost engine power. He further stated that he could not reach the runway and impacted the ground approximately a quarter of a mile short of the runway. At the time of the loss of engine power the fuel selector was in the both position and was switched to the left tank. During the interview the pilot further stated that he attempted to restart the engine but was unable to do so. An inspection of the accident scene revealed that the airplane struck a power line. The pilot reported following the wire strike the aircraft turned left and impacted the ground. An inspection of the airplane revealed that the left wing contained 6.5 gallons of fuel and the right contained 2.5 gallons of fuel. The inspection also revealed that the engine exhibited no damage and there was no evidence of a fuel leak. A check of the manufacturer's specifications revealed that each wing had 2.5 gallons of unusable fuel. During the inspection it was determined that the wings and structural portions of the aircraft had sustained damage. Followup testing included an engine run. The engine started without problems. The engine was cycled through the RPM ranges and it continued to run without any malfunctions. The aircraft was released to the owner. FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL SELECTORS FROM THE BOTH POSITION TO THE LEFT TANK AND ATTEMPTED AN ENGINE RESTART. DURING THE FORCED LANDING THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A POWER LINE AND DESCENDED OUT OF CONTROL TO GROUND IMPACTED .25 MILES SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT TANK CONTAINED 2.5 GALLONS OF FUEL AND THE LEFT TANK 6.5 GALLONS OF FUEL. TWO AND ONE HALF GALLONS IN EACH TANK IS UNUSABLE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12