Cessna 172P N64791

Summary

On 26 November 1983 at about 07:40 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N64791 was involved in an accident near Jackson, Mississippi, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

26 November 1983 at 07:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Jackson, Mississippi, United States

Nearest airport

Thompson Field (JAN)

Coordinates

32.2594, -90.0890

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N64791

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jackson → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ATL84LA051

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT DITCHED IN A RESERVOIR AT NIGHT AFTER A POWER LOSS. THE PLT WAS DESCENDING TO LAND, IN PREPARATION FOR THE LANDING THE PLT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS ON THE SELECTOR VALVE TO WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS BOTH TANKS POSITION. SHORTLY AFTER THISTHE ENGINE QUIT. THE PLT CHECKED THE FUEL SELECTOR BUT DID NOT CHANGE IT. HE CHANGED THE MAGNETO FROM BOTH TO RIGHT AND BACK TO BOTH. WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART HE WAS FORCED TO DITCH SHORT OF THE ARPT. THE OCCUPANTS EXITED AND SWAM TO SHORE SAFELY. WHEN THE ACFT WAS SALVAGED THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION. NO FUEL WAS IN THE GASCOLATOR OR CARBURETOR. THE PLT STATED THAT THIS FUEL SELECTOR WAS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ACFT HE HAD FLOWN AND IN THE DARKNESS HE SELECTED AN IMPROPER POSITION. THE 'OFF' POSITION IS DIRECTLY OPPOSITE THE 'BOTH' POSITION. THERE IS NO GUARD OR PROTECTIVE DEVICE TO PREVENT MOVING THE SELECTOR TO OFF INADVERTENTLY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.