- Date
- July 4, 1991, 22:45 local (Jul 5, 1991, 02:45 UTC)
- Place
- Millville, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N21662Cessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910704025799A
- Case key
- 36955
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 in-flight planning/decision after becoming lost, resulting in engine fuel exhaustion. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's lack of familiarity with the geographic area, and his lack of experience in this type of operation.
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 planned for 4.6 hours en route for the flight from manhattan, Kansas to harrison, Ohio. At the estimated arrival time, the pilot was unable to locate his destination airport. He circled for about 45 minutes trying to find the airport. He did not ask for help from the available radar services in the area. Engine fuel exhaustion occurred and a forced landing was made onto a parking lot, striking a fence. The pilot said, 'at the first sign of disorientation I should have contacted cincinnati radar control for vectors.' The pilot's flight experience was primarily in helicopters. He had a total flight time of 12 hours in this make and model of airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21662
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17263984
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Go Leasing Company
- Registered owner
- Go Leasing Company
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- MHR · Manhattan, KS
- Destination
- I67 · Harrison, OH
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 790 total · 12 in this make and model · 87 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 290° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
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 N21662 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.