- Date
- August 27, 1988, 00:30 local (05:30 UTC)
- Place
- Katy, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7746UCessna 172E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880827035559A
- Case key
- 22679
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
Fuel exhaustion induced power loss, which necessitated the forced landing. Contributing to this accident was the pilot's decision to attempt to continue the flight without being able to refuel, and becoming lost during that effort.
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 departed on the night cross country flight for the purpose of establishing night currency. During the return leg the pilot stopped at three airports, but was unable to fuel because fixed base operators were closed. In an effort to return to the point of departure the pilot overflew the destination because airport lighting was secured at 2300. While on final approach to a lighted private strip the fuel exhaustion induced power loss occurred. During the forced landing the left wing struck a power line and the airplane collided with the terrain nose gear first.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7746U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17251746
- Airframe hours
- 700
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gatlin Aviation
- Registered owner
- Mari K. Hall
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1988 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 11R · Brenham, TX
- Destination
- 3XSL · Waller, TX
- Airport
- Lovey Trails, runway 18, 2,800 × ft, grass/turf
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
- 29
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 645 total · 65 in this make and model · 553 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 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 N7746U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.