This NTSB final report has come out on a 182 crash at Geneseo, IL. The FAA does not understand the fuel system of the early 182 models. The old Cessna 182 (1956) A through (1960) D has an unusable fuel of 5 GALLONS PER TANK. In the report they say that 9 gallons were left which 6.5 were usable. This is not true. It would be 4 gallons and I question even that. Pitching “up and down” is maneuvering flight. Second, the right tank was dry. There may be a venting problem which caused the system to syphon the right tank dry and then a vacuum prevented fuel from flowing from the left tank. If you have to pitch up and down to get fuel that tells me you know you have wrinkled fuel tank bladders. That plane is unairworthy to begin with and unusable fuel goes up above the 5 per tank normal! While the NTSB correctly states the cause of the accident as fuel exhaustion the body of the report leaves you scratching your head as to how that can be. Fuel exhaustion is no more usable fuel. Fuel starvation is fuel is on board but for some reason is not making it to the engine to be combusted.
Please Please Please stop thinking you have more usable fuel in these old models. The POH is very misleading in how it states the unusable fuel. You are ALWAYS maneuvering in the traffic pattern to land. Unusable fuel is TEN gallons total, five gallons per tank.
You can reference Cessna 182 Type Data Sheet here.
Join our Facebook group for easy discussion.