- Date
- September 11, 2016, 23:57 local (Sep 12, 2016, 03:57 UTC)
- Place
- Covington, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5283RCessna 172
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160911017399A
- Case key
- 94007
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 improper fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during a night visual meteorological condition flight, he was receiving flight following from air traffic control and had to divert around convective weather. The pilot further reported that about 7 nautical miles from his destination airport, the fuel supply was exhausted and the engine lost power. The pilot was able to touchdown on an interstate, but during the landing roll the right wing struck a sign. The right wing sustained substantial damage. During a postaccident interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that he was aware of the weather en-route, but he did not anticipate the length of diversion he received from air traffic control. The pilot reported that he should have departed with full fuel. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during a night visual meteorological condition flight, he was receiving flight following from air traffic control and had to divert around convective weather. The pilot further reported that about 7 nautical miles from his destination airport, the fuel supply was exhausted and the engine lost power. The pilot was able to touchdown on an interstate, but during the landing roll the right wing struck a sign. The right wing sustained substantial damage. During a postaccident interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that he was aware of the weather en-route, but he did not anticipate the length of diversion he received from air traffic control. The pilot reported that he should have departed with full fuel. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5283R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17263497
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 5,725
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Flight Train Monroe LLC.
- Registered owner
- Flight Train Monroe LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 28, 2016
- Departed
- VLD · Valdosta, GA
- Destination
- D73 · Monroe, GA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Handheld GPS
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
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 3, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 146 total · 140 in this make and model · 146 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KCVC, 4 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 4, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.