- Date
- November 22, 1983, 16:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Ft. Plain, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N734YACessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831122058389A
- Case key
- 35473
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
The flt departed bedford, ma at about 1300. Upon arriving in the area of the destination arpt, the plt had difficulty inlocating the arpt. After seeing what he thought was a wind sock, he landed in a farmer's field. He was told that this was the original field, but the arpt was now 2 mi south. The plt visually checked the fuel tanks & verified that each was 1/4 full. After takeoff the plt was again unable to find the arpt. He flew around the area for another 45 min until the eng quit due to fuel exhaustion. The acft touched down in a plowed field & the nose collapsed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N734YA
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-69210
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mitchell Michael
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- BED · Bedford, MA
- Airport
- NY20 · Nellis Field
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 177 total · 167 in this make and model · 143 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.