- Date
- October 13, 2000, 09:21 local (13:21 UTC)
- Place
- Palatka, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7894XCessna 172-B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 6, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001013015339A
- Case key
- 50466
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The CFI's inadequate preflight planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, while on the fourth touch-and-go approach, the engine lost power and quit about 3/4 of a mile short of the runway. The pilot selected a forced landing area and attempted a landing on a nearby road. During the approach to land the airplane collided with an automobile. The on-scene examination of the airplane revealed that less then one gallon of fuel remained in both fuel tanks. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were found during the engine examination.
Factual narrative
On October 13, 2000, at 0921 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172B, N7894X, collided with an automobile during a forced landing on Junior College Road in Palatka, Florida. The airplane was operated by the Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local training flight. The CFI received minor injuries, the student pilot no injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage, and the occupant of the automobile was not injured. The flight originated from Crescent City, Florida, at 0830.
According to the CFI, the flight departed Thunderbird Air Park (26J) in Crescent City, Florida, at 0830 eastern daylight time on a training flight to Kay Larkin Airport (28J) in Palatka, Florida, to practice touch and go landings. After arrival at Kay Larkin Airport three touch and go landings were successfully completed. On the fourth approach the engine quit at about 3/4 of a mile from the runway. The student pilot said that they made a forced landing on Jr. Collage Road, and had only a short distance to set the plane down before the road came to an end at the intersection of St. Johns Avenue. Attempts failed to stop the airplane on the road and the airplane traveled down into a drainage ditch that parallels St. Johns Avenue. Power lines crossed over, and then parallel Jr. Collage Road shortening the landing distance available for the airplane. A automobile, with one occupant onboard, was struck at the intersection of Jr. Collage Road and St. Johns Avenue.
On-scene examination of the airplane revealed that less then one gallon of fuel remained in both fuel tanks. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were found during the engine examination.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7894X
- Reported as
- Cessna 172-B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17248394
- Airframe hours
- 5,487
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D-6DR, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard L. Morrison
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2000 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- 26J · Crescent City, FL
- Destination
- 28J
- Airport
- 28J · Kay Larkin, runway 35, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,285 total · 49 in this make and model · 3,103 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KGN, 36 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.