- Date
- May 31, 1990, 20:54 local (Jun 1, 1990, 00:54 UTC)
- Place
- Northwood, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N737KLCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900531018279A
- Case key
- 14681
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 improper in-flight planning/decision, which resulted in an off-airport landing, when the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. The fact that the engine lost power over a populated area was a factor in this accident.
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 stated that he was within about 5 miles of his destination airport, flying over a residential area, when the engine lost power completely. He made a forced landing in a small field, touching down nose first, and the aircraft nosed over. Post-accident examination revealed no evidence of usable fuel in the fuel system. There was no indication of fuel leakage/spillage at the accident site, and the engine appeared to be capable of normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N737KL
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17269476
- Airframe hours
- 2,898
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lubee Machine Co, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 4, 1989 · 58 hours before
- Departed
- CIU · Sault Ste Marie, MI
- Destination
- TDZ · Toledo, OH
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 108 total · 36 in this make and model · 61 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N737KL · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.