MIA97LA203

Factual narrative

On July 2, 1997, about 1848 central daylight time, a Cessna A185F, registered to a private owner crashed on landing at the Diamondhead Airport, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and three passengers reported minor injuries. The flight originated from Houma-Terrebonne Airport, Houma, Louisiana, about 45 minutes before the accident The pilot stated he was making a short approach to runway 36 with full flaps when the airplane started sinking. He added power and the engine quit. He turned on the boost pumps with negative results. The airplane landed hard in the marsh about 150 feet short of the runway and nosed over inverted. The pilot stated he did not visually check the fuel tanks before he departed on the flight. The left fuel gage indicated 1/4 tank of fuel and the right fuel gage indicated 1/8 tank of fuel. The pilot informed FAA inspectors that he did not know the last time the airplane had been refueled, his nephew had flown the airplane last, and he did not check the fuel tanks before he departed. He also stated that he would often run the tank so low that the engine would sputter before switching tanks. Examination of the crash site was conducted by the FAA. The airplane came to rest upside down on the runway over run after the landing gear floats hit a runway embankment. One to 2 quarts of fuel was found in the left-hand fuel tank, and about 2 gallons of fuel was found in the right hand fuel tank. The fuel selector valve was found in the left fuel tank position. FAA inspectors stated, "Only one spot of 9" to 12" at the accident scene indicated any fuel leaking or spilling out of the fuel tanks. I found no other browning of vegetation that would indicate a large fuel leakage. My estimation is not more than one (1) gallon of fuel leaked out of the right-hand tank at the filler cap." "It is my opinion that Mr. Gonsoulin operated the aircraft to the point of fuel exhaustion." Review of the Cessna 185 Skywagon Pilot's Operating Handbook, Section 4, Normal Procedures, states in the Before Landing checklist that the fuel selector vale will be in the Both-On position. Examination of the fuel and ignition systems revealed the ignition system worked and the fuel system produced fuel to all six injectors. The fuel pump, fuel metering unit and manifold valve were forwarded to the manufacture for further analysis in the presence of the NTSB. Examination of the fuel injection components revealed the following: The first attempt to flow the fuel pump was unsuccessful. The vapor ejector was clogged with debris. The pump would cavitate and only flow with the boost pump on. Air bubbles were observed in the flow meter tubes. The vapor ejector was removed from the pump and the orifice was clogged with a foreign object. The object was examined under a microscope and appeared to be a sealant material. The ejector was reinstalled and the components flowed near specification. The fittings on the fuel pump were not capped before being shipped to the manufacturer. It is unknown where the foreign object originated from. For additional information see Teledyne Continental Motors Analytical Inspection Report. The fuel pump was returned to the NTSB investigator-in-charge, and taken to an authorized repair facility for disassembly. Pipe sealant was found on the maiting threads on the pump fittings. There was no evidence of foreign object damage (FOD) on the vapor ejector. Pipe sealant was found on the high pressure adjustment. No FOD was present in the high pressure orifice or the low pressure adjustment. There was no evidence of FOD present in the interior main fuel pump body or the vane drive. The fuel injection components were released to Mr. Lucky Louque, Air Salvage of Dallas on August 21, 1997. The pilot stated he was making a short approach with full flaps, when the airplane started sinking. He added power and the engine quit. The airplane collided with an embankment and nosed over. Examination of the fuel tanks revealed about 2 quarts of fuel in the left tank and about 2 gallons of fuel in the right tank. The fuel selector valve was on the left fuel tank. Examination of the fuel and ignition system and fuel injection components was uneventful. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12