# NTSB investigations: Cessna 172M: Loss of engine power (total)

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB WPR26LA285](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA285.md): Cessna 172 · Layton, UT · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report · Jul 31, 2026 · N9650V · Substantial damage
  > On July 30, 2026, at 2356 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172M airplane, N9650V, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Layton, Utah. The flight instructor was seriously injured, and the private pilot sustained minor injuries. The…
- [NTSB ERA23LA141](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA141.md): Cessna 172M · Miami, FL · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Mar 7, 2023 · N64535 · Substantial damage
  > A total loss of engine power due to a lack of oil lubrication.
- [NTSB ERA22LA309](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA309.md): Cessna 172 · Lancaster, OH · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jun 22, 2022 · N9556H · Substantial damage
  > A partial loss of engine power due to the formation of carburetor ice.
- [NTSB CEN20LA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA042.md): Cessna 172 · Rush City, MN · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Dec 21, 2019 · N9646Q · Substantial damage
  > The total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation because the student pilot failed to reposition the fuel mixture control to full rich before takeoff.
- [NTSB ERA17LA242](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17LA242.md): Cessna 172 · Key Biscayne, FL · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 14, 2017 · N80457 · Substantial damage
  > The nearly complete blockage of the right fuel tank strainer with organic material, which resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent total loss of engine power. Contributing to the fuel starvation was the pilot receiving instruction’s and the flight…
- [NTSB ERA17LA203](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17LA203.md): Cessna 172 · Suffolk, NY · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 12, 2017 · N13306 · Substantial damage
  > A loss of preload to the crankshaft gear attachment bolt due to improper installation, which resulted in the fatigue failure of the crankshaft gear alignment dowel and led to the rotation of the crankshaft gear and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
- [NTSB ERA15LA091](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15LA091.md): Cessna 172M · South Bimini, Bahamas · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Dec 22, 2014 · N12182 · Substantial damage
  > The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, which resulted in a subsequent ditching in the ocean.
- [NTSB CEN14CA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14CA027.md): Cessna 172M · Raymondville, TX · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 25, 2013 · N20587 · Substantial damage
  > The operation of an airplane by a non-certificated pilot. Contributing to the accident was his failure to maintain airspeed following a total loss of engine power at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Also contributing was the pilot's…
- [NTSB WPR13LA224](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13LA224.md): Cessna 172M · Lakeport, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 29, 2013 · N20800 · Substantial damage
  > Loss of engine power during climb due to a failure of the No. 2 piston assembly; the reason for the failure could not be determined because of the extent of damage to the piston assembly.
- [NTSB WPR13LA113](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13LA113.md): Cessna 172 · Wilcox, AZ · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Feb 2, 2013 · N1421V · Substantial damage
  > The loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation.
- [NTSB CEN13LA104](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA104.md): Cessna 172M · Arcola, TX · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Dec 7, 2012 · N172BJ · Substantial damage
  > The loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
- [NTSB ERA12CA568](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA568.md): Cessna 172M · Quitman, MS · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 19, 2012 · N172HA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s improper preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
- [NTSB ERA12CA546](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA546.md): Cessna 172M · Bardstown, KY · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 30, 2012 · N21214 · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor's decision to turn the fuel selector to the off position and his delayed remedial actions to restart the engine, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent forced landing.
- [NTSB CEN12LA508](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA508.md): Cessna 172M · South Wayne, WI · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 10, 2012 · N12504 · Substantial damage
  > Internal engine component failures, which resulted from oil starvation due to debris in the oil system.
- [NTSB ERA10CA181](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10CA181.md): Cessna 172M · Connelsville, PA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Mar 21, 2010 · N8921V · Substantial damage
  > A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to refuel.
- [NTSB ERA09LA379](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09LA379.md): Cessna 172M · Princeton, NJ · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 4, 2009 · N64178 · Substantial damage
  > The partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
- [NTSB WPR09CA305](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09CA305.md): Cessna 172M · McCall, ID · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 22, 2009 · N12463 · Substantial damage
  > A total loss of engine power during descent due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to determine the fuel quantity prior to departure.
- [NTSB ERA09LA310](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09LA310.md): Cessna 172M · Sarasota, FL · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 30, 2009 · N12151 · Substantial damage
  > A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
- [NTSB SEA08LA155](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08LA155.md): Cessna 172M · Oakland, CA · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 30, 2008 · N61736 · Substantial damage
  > A loss of engine power due to oil starvation. The oil starvation event was due to the failure of maintenance personnel to tighten the mounting bolts for the newly installed vacuum pump.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('2072418')
    AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND s.aircrafts_position = x.position AND s."tier2Number" = '341' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent")))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence?model=2072418

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.
