- Date
- November 17, 1992, 12:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Elk River, MN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7463ACessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921117047069A
- Case key
- 15627
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
Failure of the pilot to refuel the airplane before the flight.
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 returning to his home base after having an annual inspection performed on his airplane when he experienced a loss of engine power. The airplane struck trees and crashed next to a county highway during the attempted forced landing. Investigators found approximately one teaspoon of fuel in the right tank, no fuel in the left tank, approximately two ounces of fuel in the firewall strainer, and approximately one ounce in the carburetor bowl. Before departing the airport the pilot remarked that he was low on fuel and needed to get some. A worker went to get the fuel truck but the pilot taxied out for takeoff and departed the airport as he returned with the truck.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7463A
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 29563
- Airframe hours
- 2,846
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wallace D. Pederson
- Registered owner
- Wallace D. Pederson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 17, 1992 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- 8Y6 · Clear Lake, MN
- Destination
- ANE · Anoka, MN
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 262 total · 234 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STC, 25 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.