# NTSB ERA24LA232: Cessna 172P, N658NV, Citronelle, AL, May 27, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: May 27, 2024, 15:20 local (20:20 UTC) - Place: Citronelle, AL - Coordinates: 31.05, -88.15 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.0500&lon=-88.1500&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 194345 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA24LA232 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194345/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194345 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA232 ## Probable cause A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a fuel vent line that was clogged by an insect nest. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fuel system: fuel storage](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022810): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Damaged/degraded (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172P, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022810/cases.md?model=2072436), [All aircraft, 60 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022810/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172P, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=2072436), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md) - [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 172P, 22 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2072436), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis The owner reported that the airplane had been idle for 25 years before he purchased it and had an annual inspection performed. The accident pilot, who was a friend of the owner, then performed a 45-minute local flight before departing on the accident flight to take the airplane from Mississippi to Florida. The pilot stated that, during cruise flight, the engine began to surge and run erratically before it lost all power. The pilot selected a field for a forced landing, but “lacked the energy for a proper flare,” and the airplane landed hard, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the cockpit and cabin area revealed that the copilot and rear seats were not installed. There was no carpeting nor interior trim panels installed, and unsecured insulation was exposed. One blanket of insulation hung free from the ceiling. Instruments and radios were labeled “Inop” across the instrument panel. A postaccident test run of the engine revealed no anomalies. The fuel tank vent tube located near the leading edge of the left wing was found obstructed by a compacted organic material consistent with mud dauber nesting. According to the manufacturer, a blocked fuel vent can result in fuel starvation, a loss of engine power, and complete engine stoppage. ## Factual narrative On May 27, 2024, about 1520 central daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N658NV, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Citronelle, Alabama. The airline transport pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. According to the Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector who responded to the accident scene, the owner had arranged for the pilot to recover the airplane from the maintenance facility that had just completed an annual inspection. The owner reported that the airplane had been idle for 25 years before he purchased it and had the annual inspection performed. He said the pilot flew the airplane for about 45 minutes, returned to the airport for fuel, and then departed on the accident flight from Copiah County Airport (M11), Crystal Springs, Mississippi, to Peter Prince Airport (2R4), Milton, Florida. According to local law enforcement, the pilot stated at the scene that he had, “lost his engine” and performed a forced landing to the field, where the airplane came to rest upright but substantially damaged. In a written statement, the pilot said the airplane was in a cruise configuration when the engine, “surged slightly a few times” before it began running “erratically.” The pilot described his remedial actions to restore full engine power as he maneuvered the airplane toward a suitable forced landing site that was “beyond gliding distance.” The engine stopped producing power, and he “stretched” the glide for the desired field, but “lacked the energy for a proper flare” and landed hard. Examination of photographs revealed damage to the underside of the engine compartment, a separated nose landing gear, and damage to the left wingtip. The propeller remained attached, and one blade was bent aft. Examination of the cockpit and cabin area revealed that the copilot and rear seats were not installed. There was no carpeting nor interior trim panels installed, and unsecured insulation was exposed. One blanket of insulation hung free from the ceiling. Instruments and radios were labeled “Inop” across the instrument panel. The airplane was recovered from the accident site to a secure facility for examination. The engine was run using a temporary fuel cell. No anomalies were noted during the engine run. A drop of about 125 to 150 rpm was noted during a magneto check using the airplane’s magneto switch. The magneto P-leads were removed from the magnetos and two separated wires were installed on the magneto P-leads to perform the second engine run, bypassing the airplane’s magneto switch. No anomalies were noted on the second run and the magneto rpm drops were consistent to that observed with the magneto switch. A total of four engine runs were performed. The engine started without delay and ran smoothly from 700 rpm to 2,600 rpm. The fuel pressure was noted at 2 psi and 6 psi with the boost pump engaged. Oil pressure was in the green/normalrange. The fuel tank vent tube located near the leading edge of the left wing was found obstructed during a field test with low-pressure air. Further examination of the vent line revealed the obstruction was a compacted organic material consistent with mud dauber nesting. (See figure 1.) Figure 1: View of occluded fuel vent tube as found. Note organic material (Mud dauber nest). According to the manufacturer’s Model 172 Series Service Manual: 12-11 CHECKING. If stoppage of the either the fuel vent or vent bleed hole occurs, with the engine running, it can lose power, and eventually stop due to fuel starvation, which can lead to collapsing of the fuel tank. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N658NV](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N658NV), registered now, S/N 17275439, built 1981 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P - Registry model: [Cessna 172P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (registry code 2072436) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17275439 - Year built: 1981 - Airframe hours: 2322.5 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-D2J 160 hp reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Annual, May 19, 2024, 1.4 hours before - Departed: M11, Crystal Springs, MS - Destination: 2R4, Milton, FL - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 68; injuries: serious; airline transport, remote, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: basicmed; seat: left; flight hours: 13,250 total, 100 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 12 knots - Visibility: 9 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,800 ft broken - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 75 °F - Altimeter: 29.92 inHg - Observed at: KMOB - METAR: KMOB 272013Z 18012KT 10SM SCT023 BKN028 BKN039 31/24 A2992 RMK AO2 T03060244 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20240527009089A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240527009089A), May 27, 2024: Cessna 172P, Citronelle, AL, Substantial damage. Pilot was repositioning the aircraft to another airport when the aircraft's engine began running "rough". After several attempts to troubleshoot the engine,… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194345. 6.9 MB in all. - Pilot's statement (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 119 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18870873&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%27s%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Maintenance records (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 5.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18870286&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Maintenance%20Entries_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Fuel system excerpt (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 97 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18871125&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=1980%27s%20172%20Fuel%20system%20AMM%208%20Fuel%20Vent%20Excerpt-Rel.pdf - Docket photo array (item 4, PDF, 3 pages, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18871315&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Docket%20Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.