- Date
- August 1, 1991, 17:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Fredericksburg, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6002RCessna 172G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910801031139A
- Case key
- 11696
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 pilot's selection of the improper fuel tank. Contributing to the accident was the pilot did not use the check list.
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
Before departing on a flight from madison, Connecticut to Fredericksburg, Virginia, the pilot visually inspeced the fuel tanks. He stated that the right tank was full while the left tank was two to three gallons short of being full. He departed at about 1421 EDT with the fuel selector on the both position. During the flight he alternated between the left and right tank. He stated that he selected the left tank for approximately 93 minutes and the right tank for 74 minutes. As he continued his descent to his destination, he kept the selector on the left tank. During the descent the engine lost power and he made a forced landing in a field, examination of the aircraft revealed there was six to eight gallons remaining in the right tank. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had used the emergency check list.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6002R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17253671
- Airframe hours
- 2,822
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James M. Curry
- Registered owner
- James M. Curry
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 11, 1990 · 61 hours before
- Departed
- N04 · Madison, CT
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 358 total · 240 in this make and model · 307 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DCA, 45 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.