# NTSB CEN14LA347: Cessna 172H, N3732R, Baytown, TX, July 8, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 7, 2014, 21:01 local (Jul 8, 2014, 02:01 UTC) - Place: Baytown, TX - Coordinates: 29.775554, -94.940551 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.7756&lon=-94.9406&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR go-around: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 3 serious - Status: Completed, report December 12, 2016 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Continental Motors, Inc., Textron Aviation, Inc., FAA Houston FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 89628 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN14LA347 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/89628/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89628 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14LA347 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to verify the fuel onboard before the flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061000): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172H, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061000/cases.md?model=2072424), [All aircraft, 113 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061000/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172H, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2072424), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172H, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=2072424), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot; cases with it: [Cessna 172H, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=2072424), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Prior to flight: Preflight or dispatch event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030); cases with it: [Cessna 172H, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030/sequence.md?model=2072424), [All aircraft, 355 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030/sequence.md) - [Approach-VFR go-around: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172H, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=2072424), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 172H, 12 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2072424), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 172H, 20 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072424), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) - [Landing: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Cessna 172H, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=2072424), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) - [Post-impact: Cabin safety event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/110); cases with it: [Cessna 172H, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/110/sequence.md?model=2072424), [All aircraft, 151 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/110/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot and two passengers completed a 45-minute local sightseeing flight at night, then returned to the airport for a touch-and-go landing. About 400 ft above ground level after takeoff, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing in a flat, clear area of a city park. As the airplane descended, the right wing impacted a set of electrical transmission wires. The pilot lost control and the airplane impacted terrain, where it came to rest inverted. An on-scene examination of the wreckage showed no evidence of fuel. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. The pilot reported that he had last fueled the airplane more than 6 months before the accident; he estimated that a total of 32 gallons of fuel was onboard at that time. He also estimated that the airplane had been flown about 2 hours 20 minutes since refueling, and that there should have been about 45 minutes of fuel remaining at the time of the accident. Data from the airplane's hand-held GPS showed that within the previous 6 months, the device had recorded flights totaling about 4 hours. Thus, the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to verify the available fuel before the accident flight. ## Factual narrative On July 7, 2014, at 2101 central daylight time, a Cessna 172H single-engine airplane, N3732R, was substantially damaged during an off-airport forced landing at Baytown, Texas. The pilot and both passengers sustained serious injuries. No persons on the ground were injured. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by a different private individual. Night visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident and a flight plan had not been filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane had departed Baytown Airport (HPY), Baytown, Texas, about 2015 for a local flight.The pilot reported that he departed HPY and flew around the local area for about 45-minutes on a sightseeing flight. After touchdown on his return landing at HPY he decided to do a touch-and-go. During initial climb, when the airplane was southbound and about 400 feet above ground level (agl), there was a complete loss of engine power. The pilot identified a forced landing area to his direct front and maneuvered the airplane to touchdown southbound in a flat clear area which was immediately adjacent to two lighted baseball diamonds in a city park. When the airplane was descending at 50 feet agl the right wing impacted the bottom set of wires on a 100-foot tall electrical transmission line. The pilot reported that he never saw the wires, but saw a bright flash as the airplane came in contact with them. Control was lost and the airplane impacted terrain and a fence on the edge of the unoccupied baseball diamond and came to rest inverted. There was no postimpact fire. Emergency responders arrived quickly and extracted the victims from the wreckage. The pilot reported that he had last added fuel more than 6 months previous, but he did not then "top off" the tanks. He was unsure how much fuel had been added, but stated there was likely a total of about 32 gallons of fuel after refueling. He estimated the airplane had been flown about 2 hours 20 minutes since then, and estimated there should have been about 7 gallons, or about 45 minutes of fuel remaining at the time of the accident. Data from the airplane's hand-held GPS showed that within the previous 6 months the device had recorded flights totaling about 3 hours 54 minutes. An on-scene examination of the wreckage showed no evidence of fuel. The examination of the airplane and the engine showed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions of anomalies that would have prevented normal operations. At 2050 the automated weather observing system at Ellington Airport (EFD), Houston, Texas, about 16 nautical miles southwest from the accident site, reported wind from 160 degrees at 4 knots, visibility of 10 miles, scattered clouds at 18,000 feet, broken clouds at 25,000 feet, temperature 28 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 24 degrees C, with an altimeter setting of 30.00 inches of mercury. Data from the U. S. Naval Observatory shows that sunset occurred at 2024, and the endof evening civil twilight occurred at 2051. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3732R](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3732R-2018-03-13), registration cancelled 2018-03-13, S/N 17255532, built 1966 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172H - Registry model: [Cessna 172H](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172h) (registry code 2072424) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (registry code 17022, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17255532 - Year built: 1966 - Airframe hours: 4038 - Engines: CONTINENTAL 0-300-D 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Annual, December 30, 2013, 2 hours before - Departed: HPY, Baytown, TX - Destination: HPY, Baytown, TX - Airport: HPY, Baytown, runway 14, 4,334 × 60 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system, Handheld GPS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; injuries: serious; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review October 28, 2013; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 1,700 total, 300 in this make and model, 1,600 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 160° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 75 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: KEFD, 15 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20140707009949A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140707009949A), Jul 7, 2014: Cessna 172H, Baytown, TX, Destroyed. I arrived on scene and observed the Cessna C-172 inverted against a fence at a ball field. The aircraft was destroyed. There was extensive damage to the… ## Docket (13 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 4, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89628. 7.1 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 269 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444929&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Pilot's Estimate of Flight Time Since Last Refueling (item 2, .PDF, 48 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444930&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%27s%20Estimate%20of%20Flight%20Time%20Since%20Last%20Refueling-Master.PDF - Witness Statement - Schrock (item 3, .PDF, 146 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444931&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement%20-%20Schrock-Master.PDF - Witness Statements - Buzbee and Boudreaux (item 4, .PDF, 188 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444932&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statements%20-%20Buzbee%20and%20Boudreaux-Master.PDF - Fuel Quality Testing Results (item 5, .PDF, 115 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444933&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Fuel%20Quality%20Testing%20Results-Master.PDF - Summary of Findings (item 6, .PDF, 32 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444934&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Summary%20of%20Findings-Master.PDF - GPS Factual Report (item 7, .PDF, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444935&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=GPS%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF - GPS Factual Report - Attachment 1 - Tabular Data (item 8, .CSV, 106 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444936&FileExtension=.csv&FileName=GPS%20Factual%20Report%20-%20Attachment%201%20-%20Tabular%20Data-Master.csv - Maps (item 9, .PDF, 441 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444937&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maps-Master.PDF - Weather Summary (item 10, .PDF, 93 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444938&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Summary-Master.PDF - Photos (item 11, .PDF, 2.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444939&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photos-Master.PDF - Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 12, .PDF, 448 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444940&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Master.PDF - Reports from Parties to the Investigation (Engine Operational Test Report) (item 13, .PDF, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444941&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Reports%20from%20Parties%20to%20the%20Investigation%20(Engine%20Operational%20Test%20Report)-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- 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.