- Date
- October 20, 1989, 01:15 local (06:15 UTC)
- Place
- Hiwasse, AR
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N96299Cessna 172Q
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891020043839A
- Case key
- 34897
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 failure to properly plan the flight and insure that there was sufficient fuel to complete the flight. The pilot also failed to monitor the fuel level during the flight.
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 declared a 'mayday' due to a loss of engine power 15 miles from his destination during the night cross country flight. A forced landing was made on hilly, wooded terrain and the airplane was damaged. Post accident examination revealed the fuel tanks were empty of usable fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N96299
- Reported as
- Cessna 172Q
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276054
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4N, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Disney, Merry L
- Departed
- APA · Denver, CO
- Destination
- ROG · Rogers, AR
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 103 total · 58 in this make and model · 43 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Observed at
- FYV, 20 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.
Other investigations on N96299 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.