- Date
- March 7, 1992, 18:30 local (Mar 8, 1992, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Golden, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6938XCessna 172B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920307005239A
- Case key
- 18452
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 due to the pilot's failure to refuel. Factors were false fuel sensor indications and a fence.
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
During a student pilot solo cross-country flight, the pilot made an en route stop at the first airport of intented destination but did not refuel. After departure, based on total time en route and the left fuel gauge indication of 1/4 tank, he made a decision to divert to an airport for refueling. The engine lost power during the descent and the pilot made an emergency forced landing. During the landing roll the airplane went through a fence. Neither fuel tank, fuel sumps, or the gascolator contained any fuel at the accident site. Post accident investigation revealed the left and right fuel sensor units were inaccurate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6938X
- Reported as
- Cessna 172B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17247838
- Airframe hours
- 3,793
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Max E. Bolen
- Registered owner
- James G. Colbert
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 26, 1991 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- M78 · Malvern, AR
- Destination
- 3F9
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 39 total · 25 in this make and model · 13 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 45 °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.