- Date
- January 31, 1997, 22:02 local (Feb 1, 1997, 03:02 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4696GCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970131001069A
- Case key
- 10514
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 management and fuel system exhaustion. A factor involved was the inadequate in-flight planning/decision.
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 flight originated from Hendersonville, North Carolina, at 1730 est with the intended destination of Elkhart, Indiana. The pilot said that on final approach to runway 23 at Fort Wayne Municipal Airport, he lost power and discovered that he was out of fuel. 1.5 gallons of clean blue fuel was drained from the fuel filter. The Pilot's Operating Handbook states a total unusable fuel as 3 gallons.
Factual narrative
On January 31, 1997, at 2202 eastern standard time (est), a Cessna 172N, N4696G, registered to Aerolina, Inc., of Hendersonville, North Carolina, received substantial damage when it landed short of runway 23 at the Fort Wayne Municipal Airport, Fort Wayne, Indiana, following a total loss of engine power. The pilot intended to stop at Fort Wayne, Indiana for fuel. The private pilot and passenger reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Hendersonville, North Carolina, at 1730 est with the intended destination of Elkhart, Indiana.
According to the pilot's written statement, he said, "...on final approach to FWA [Fort Wayne Municipal Airport] & lost power later discovered out of fuel."
Post accident examination of the airplane by the Federal Aviation Administration Principal Maintenance Inspector (PMI) stated that he removed the spark plugs, and they were clean and dry. Turned propeller through and received a good spark from both magnetos. The PMI drained fuel from the fuel filter at the bottom of the engine compartment and received a total of one and a half gallons of clean blue color fuel.
The Pilot's Operating Handbook states that the total unusable fuel is 3 gallons.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4696G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273322
- Airframe hours
- 6,862
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aerolina, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 10, 1997 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- 0A7 · Hendersonville, NC
- Destination
- EKM · Elkhart, IN
- Airport
- FWA · Fort Wayne Municipal, runway 23, 12,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 149 total · 130 in this make and model · 100 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 260° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FWA
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 N4696G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.