- Date
- January 28, 1982, 21:40 local (Jan 29, 1982, 03:40 UTC)
- Place
- Wentzville, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5333TCessna 172H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 28, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820128002219A
- Case key
- 72994
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 cross-country flight, the pilot switched the fuel selector from both tanks to the right tank to balance the fuel. After the tanks were balanced, he failed to switch the selector back to both. During a night, final approach at his destination, the engine lost power from fuel starvation with the fuel selector still positioned to the right tank. He did not switch to the left tank or both tanks to restart the engine. He was aware of power lines near the runway and focused his full attention to flying the aircraft and locating the power lines. He spotted the power lines on his flight path and maneuvered under them. The aircraft was damaged when it landed in a construction area and continued into a corn field. It came to rest about 400 ft from the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5333T
- Reported as
- Cessna 172H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17256100
- Airframe hours
- 1,938
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James R. Lambert
- Registered owner
- James R. Lambert
- Departed
- Kankakee, IL
- Destination
- Liberty, MO
- Airport
- Wentzville, runway 18, 2,400 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 179 total · 107 in this make and model · 135 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 86 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.