- Date
- November 26, 1990, 00:01 local (06:01 UTC)
- Place
- Granbury, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N46383Cessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901126051949A
- Case key
- 23293
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
Total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Factors were the pilot's improper fuel consumption calculations, and the darkness of the night.
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 non-instrument rated private pilot was on a night cross country flight. Four hours and twenty one minutes had elapsed since the pilot departed his last refueling stop. The airplane was on an extended base leg for landing when a total engine power loss occurred. A forced landing was executed to an area covered with high vegetation. Both fuel tanks were found to be empty and the fuel selector was in the both position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46383
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17257231
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- John Grosboll
- Departed
- MLU · Monroe, LA
- Destination
- F18 · Cleburne, TX
- Airport
- F55 · Granbury Muni
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 175 total · 26 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 190° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- FTW, 53 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.