Fuel exhaustion involving a Cessna 180E, VH-PFT, Broome, Western Australia, on 4 August 1994

The pilot had been operating the aircraft in the area for several weeks in support of parachuting operations. Towards the end of the day, he requested to be refuelled, but the refueller was busy and could not immediately attend to the request. The pilot departed without refuelling and whilst turning onto finals at the conclusion of the sortie, the engine sputtered and stopped. In order to avoid undershooting and possibly landing in houses, the pilot elected to land in a clear area of mangrove. When the wheels sank into the sift surface, the aircraft overturned.

Minimal quantities of fuel were discovered in the aircraft and the fuel system after it was righted, and the investigation did not discover any reason for the engine stoppage other than fuel exhaustion. The most likely explanation for the fuel exhaustion was the poor fuel management practices of the pilot.