- Date
- July 24, 1986, 10:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- West Branch, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N734XXCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860724037369A
- Case key
- 13491
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 student pilot's CFI had advised him to refuel at an en route arpt on the x-county solo flt because there was no fuel avail at departure arpt. The student did not dip thetanks but stated 'based on my calculations of fuel burn there should have been enough fuel to complete the trip without refueling at another location'. Fuel exhaustion was experienced 44 NM northeast of the destination arpt and the acft collided with trees during the forced laning.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N734XX
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17269207
- Airframe hours
- 1,850
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aviation Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 20, 1986 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- APN · Alpena, MI
- Destination
- MOP · Mt. Pleasant, MI
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Y31 · West Branch
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 30 total · 30 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MBS, 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.