- Date
- May 16, 1993, 15:12 local (19:12 UTC)
- Place
- Manassas, VA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5416TCessna 172E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930516013879A
- Case key
- 11949
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 inadequate preflight planning/preparation, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, due to an inadequate supply of fuel.
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
The pilot was en route to his destination at about 3000 feet above the ground when the engine lost power. He stated that he restarted the engine once, but it lost power shortly afterward. The airplane had been flown earlier that day by another pilot. The pilot (of the accident flight) estimated he had 18 gallons of fuel on board and his flying time would be 1 hour ten minutes. After the engine lost power, he established the best rate of glide and tried to reach the nearest airport. However, his altitude was insufficient and the airplane collided with trees about 1.5 mi east of the airport and fell to the ground. Examination of the airplane revealed 1 quart of fuel in the left tank; the right tank and carburetor were empty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5416T
- Reported as
- Cessna 172E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17251316
- Airframe hours
- 4,173
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Continental Aviation Club Inc.
- Registered owner
- Continental Aviation Club Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 20, 1992 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- TGI · Tangier Island, VA
- Destination
- JYO · Leesburg, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 295 total · 151 in this make and model · 234 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HEF, 1 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.