What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On March 08, 2005, at 0840, a Cessna 172, piloted by and registered to privacy data omitted , an ATP rating, departed a private airstrip owned by his friend, privacy data omitted located near glenwood Arkansas. An eyewitness report that morning states the pilot privacy data omitted had a stick that was marked and he stuck both tanks and determined there was 15 gallons of fuel on board. The pilot privacy data omitted intended flight was for sherrill, Arkansas where he was to get an annual inspection accomplished by privacy data omitted an eyewitness reports that the pilot privacy data omitted made his flight to sherrill, Arkansas and departed sherrill between the hours of 1630 and 1645 for the intended flight back to glenwood, Arkansas. Eyewitness reports that the pilot privacy data omitted did not take on fuel at sherrill, Arkansas. Eyewitness reports that at about 1755 a low flying aircraft was spotted on a downwind approach at Hot Springs, Arkansas turning on a left base for runway 23 but it was not making noise. The eyewitness drove to a location to observe the airport and saw another similar looking aircraft taking off and mistakenly thought it was the same one he had seen earlier. A few minutes after 1900 privacy data omitted started calling friends and family that the pilot privacy data omitted had not landed at glenwood, Arkansas. A search was initiated and the civil air patrol triangulated an ELT signal just short of runway 23. It was determined that it was the pilot's privacy data omitted aircraft. The aircraft was located at 0330 March 09, 2005 and the pilot privacy data omitted was dead at the scene, suffering from head trauma. (Me report) an investigator from the little rock FSDO arrived at 0930 March 9, 2005. Two NTSB board members and technical representatives from the aircraft and engine manufacturers arrived that afternoon. After draining the fuel cells, it was determined there was only 1.5 gallons of fuel recovered. The fuel cells were not breached and no evidence of fuel leaks existed. After aircraft recovery the airframe was inspected by the mfg rep and found capable of flight. The engine was disassembled by the mfg rep and found to be capable of making power. It was determined by the NTSB the aircraft did not contain enough fuel for the intended flight. This accident is closed.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MARCH 08, 2005, AT 0840, A CESSNA 172, PILOTED BY AND REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ , AN ATP RATING, DEPARTED A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP OWNED BY HIS FRIEND, ^PRIVACY DATA ^ LOCATED NEAR GLENWOOD ARKANSAS. AN EYEWITNESS REPORT THAT MORNING STATES THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ HAD A STICK THAT WAS MARKED AND HE STUCK BOTH TANKS AND DETERMINED THERE WAS 15 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ INTENDED FLIGHT WAS FOR SHERRILL, ARKANSAS WHERE HE WAS TO GET AN ANNUAL INSPECTION ACCOMPLISHED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^ AN EYEWITNESS REPORTS THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ MADE HIS FLIGHT TO SHERRILL, ARKANSAS AND DEPARTED SHERRILL BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 1630 AND 1645 FOR THE INTENDED FLIGHT BACK TO GLENWOOD, ARKANSAS. EYEWITNESS REPORTS THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ DID NOT TAKE ON FUEL AT SHERRILL, ARKANSAS. EYEWITNESS REPORTS THAT AT ABOUT 1755 A LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT WAS SPOTTED ON A DOWNWIND APPROACH AT HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS TURNING ON A LEFT BASE FOR RUNWAY 23 BUT IT WAS NOT MAKING NOISE. THE EYEWITNESS DROVE TO A LOCATION TO OBSERVE THE AIRPORT AND SAW ANOTHER SIMILAR LOOKING AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF AND MISTAKENLY THOUGHT IT WAS THE SAME ONE HE HAD SEEN EARLIER. A FEW MINUTES AFTER 1900 ^PRIVACY DA^ STARTED CALLING FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ HAD NOT LANDED AT GLENWOOD, ARKANSAS. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED AND THE CIVIL AIR PATROL TRIANGULATED AN ELT SIGNAL JUST SHORT OF RUNWAY 23. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE PILOT'S ^PRIVACY DATA^ AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED AT 0330 MARCH 09, 2005 AND THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ WAS DEAD AT THE SCENE, SUFFERING FROM HEAD TRAUMA. (ME REPORT) AN INVESTIGATOR FROM THE LITTLE ROCK FSDO ARRIVED AT 0930 MARCH 9, 2005. TWO NTSB BOARD MEMBERS AND TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE MANUFACTURERS ARRIVED THAT AFTERNOON. AFTER DRAINING THE FUEL CELLS, IT WAS DETERMINED THERE WAS ONLY 1.5 GALLONS OF FUEL RECOVERED. THE FUEL CELLS WERE NOT BREACHED AND NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKS EXISTED. AFTER AIRCRAFT RECOVERY THE AIRFRAME WAS INSPECTED BY THE MFG REP AND FOUND CAPABLE OF FLIGHT. THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED BY THE MFG REP AND FOUND TO BE CAPABLE OF MAKING POWER. IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE NTSB THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT CONTAIN ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE INTENDED FLIGHT. THIS ACCIDENT IS CLOSED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.