20060703012329I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172L · Port Royal, SC · July 3, 2006

Date: July 3, 2006 · 17:25 local
Place: Port Royal, SC
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N3974Q
Reported as: Cessna 172L
Reported engine: Lycoming O320*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,450 total499 in this make and model14 in the last 90 days

N3974QRegistration cancelled Jul 7, 2011 · Cessna 172LS/N 17260074 · Built 1971 Airframe modelCessna 172L Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On July 3, 2006 at approximately 1825 hours, on the state Port authority rail yard, in Port Royal, SC, a Cessna 172, N3974Q, landed on an abandoned railroad track. The off airport landing, as reported by the pilot, occurred because, he ran out of fuel. Examination of the aircraft at the rail yard site revealed that both wing tanks were empty of fuel and the gascolater contained only a cup of fuel. The nose wheel was ripped from the aircraft and the right wing at the wing tip was slightly bent. Examination on site revealed no structural damage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 3, 2006 AT APPROXIMATELY 1825 HOURS, ON THE STATE PORT AUTHORITY RAIL YARD, IN PORT ROYAL, SC, A CESSNA 172, N3974Q, LANDED ON AN ABANDONED RAILROAD TRACK. THE OFF AIRPORT LANDING, AS REPORTED BY THE PILOT, OCCURRED BECAUSE, HE RAN OUT OF FUEL. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE RAIL YARD SITE REVEALED THAT BOTH WING TANKS WERE EMPTY OF FUEL AND THE GASCOLATER CONTAINED ONLY A CUP OF FUEL. THE NOSE WHEEL WAS RIPPED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE RIGHT WING AT THE WING TIP WAS SLIGHTLY BENT. EXAMINATION ON SITE REVEALED NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.