- Date
- September 2, 2023, 19:15 local (Sep 3, 2023, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Neola, IA · Cultivated field
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1374FCessna 172G
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230903016359A
- Case key
- 192997
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 fuel planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the airplane was full of fuel before he departed for the cross-country flight. After flying for about 2 hours and 50 minutes, with a significant headwind, he decided to divert to an airport to refuel. During his attempt to refuel, it was discovered that the fuel pumps were out of order, and he did not see the active notice to airmen (NOTAM) for the out of order fuel pumps. The pilot calculated the fuel remaining in the airplane and departed for his destination. After flying for about 40 minutes, the engine lost power and he executed a forced landing on a road about 12 miles from the destination airport. During the landing, the airplane impacted a swale and nosed over adjacent to the road which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot noted that a more thorough flight planning and a more accurate use of the airplane’s performance charts could have prevented the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1374F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17254869
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 2,287.53
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 31, 2023 · 25.83 hours before
- Departed
- SKY · Sac City, IA
- Destination
- CBF · Council Bluffs, IA
- Airport
- KCBF
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, ADS-B
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 29, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 97 total · 46 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KCBF, 13 nm away
- METAR
- KCBF 021215Z AUTO 19006KT 10SM CLR 19/14 A3002 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 12, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N1374F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.