- Date
- August 27, 1994, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Whitehall, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1106FCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940827023589A
- Case key
- 9657
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 in command's inadequate preflight planning. Factors related to the accident were the fuel exhaustion and the soft crop field.
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 was on a solo cross country. He made an intermediate stop without refueling and continued toward his point of origin with an estimated 10 gallons of fuel remaining on board. After approximately one hour the pilot noticed the fuel gauges indicated low. He attempted to continue to the closest airport, his fuel was exhausted, and a forced landing was made to a crop field. During touchdown the airplane flipped over, coming to rest inverted.
Factual narrative
On August 27, 1994, at 1500 hours eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N1106F, operated by John C. Amunsen of Dowagiac, Michigan, made a forced landing in a carrot field near Whitehall, Michigan, after experiencing a total loss of engine power. The airplane came to rest inverted and was substantially damaged. No fire occurred and the student pilot was uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a student solo cross country training flight and originated from Dowagiac Municipal Airport, Dowagiac, Michigan at 1115 eastern daylight time. An intermediate stop was made at Cherry Capital Airport, Traverse City, Michigan, without refueling and the airplane was en route to Dowagiac via Muskegon, Michigan.
The student pilot stated that he calculated distance in nautical miles. The pilot stated that en route to Muskegon he noticed his fuel gauges indicated low and he attempted to reach Muskegon County Airport. He stated that the fuel supply was exhausted, the engine lost power, and an emergency landing to a crop field was made. During touchdown, the nose wheel dug into the soft ground and the airplane flipped over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1106F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17254701
- Airframe hours
- 7,710
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- John C. Amunsen, doing business as Classic Air Services, Inc.
- Registered owner
- John C. Amunsen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 25, 1994 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- TVC · Traverse City, MI
- Destination
- MKG · Muskegon, MI
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 55 total · 35 in this make and model · 24 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MKG, 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.
Other investigations on N1106F · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.