- Date
- April 10, 1993, 03:12 local (08:12 UTC)
- Place
- Durham, NH
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8228GCessna 172
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 10, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930410008879A
- Case key
- 37306
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power. Factors related to the accident were flight into adverse weather conditions, failure to obtain inflight weather information, and pilot fatigue.
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 made the instrument approach to his destination, but the he was unable to see the runway at landing minimums. He elected to proceed to his alternate airport, where he made two more approaches without being able to land because of low weather conditions. He then flew to a third airport, where he made three more unsuccessful instrument approaches. On the last missed approach, the engine quit and the airplane impacted trees. Examination of the airplane revealed no fuel in the tanks. The weather at the last airport was reported as ceiling 400 feet, obscured, visibility 1/4 of a mile with light drizzle and fog. The ILS was flight checked by the FAA after the accident and rated satisfactory. The pilot said he did not request current weather conditions during the flight. The pilot had flown approximately 10 hours during the 14 hours prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8228G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273617
- Airframe hours
- 5,130
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- J.C.R. Aviation
- Registered owner
- Plane Partners
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 29, 1992
- Departed
- BGM · Binghamton, NY
- Destination
- BVY · Beverly, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PSM · Pease Intl Tradeport, runway 34, 11,318 × 300 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 447 total · 134 in this make and model · 286 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 40° at 3 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PSM, 3 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.