Cessna 172N N738LM
12 November 1995 · Niles, Michigan, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 12 November 1995 at about 20:32 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N738LM was involved in an accident near Niles, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:32
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Niles, Michigan, United States
- Nearest airport
- Michiana Regional (SBN)
- Coordinates
- 41.8297, -86.2401
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N
- Registration
- N738LM
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Buffalo → South Bend
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI96LA030
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's improper fuel consumption calculations. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft and operating with a known malfunctioning fuel gauge.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT HAD FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM BUFFALO, NEW YORK, TO SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AND SPENT 20 MINUTES GROUND RUNNING TIME WAITING FOR AN IFR CLEARANCE. DURING THE FLIGHT THE LEFT FUEL TANK GAUGE WAS ERRATIC, SO THE PILOT IGNORED IT. THE IN-FLIGHT TIME WAS 4 HOURS AND 25 MINUTES BEFORE A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED. THE PILOT STATED THE FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR THE AIRPLANE WAS BETWEEN 8.5 TO 8.9 GPH. AT 8.5 GPH, THE FUEL BURNED DURING THE 4 HOUR AND 25 MINUTE FLIGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN 37.5 GALLONS, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 2 GALLONS USED FOR THE 20 MINUTE GROUND TIME, FOR A TOTAL OF 39.5 GALLONS USED. AT 8.9 GPH, THE TOTAL WOULD HAVE BEEN 41.3 GALLONS. THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK SHOWS THE USABLE FUEL OF 40 GALLONS, WITH 3 GALLONS UNUSABLE. THE POSTCRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED 1-1/2 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK; NO FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb 1995 | Cessna 172K | Wrightsville, Georgia, United States | George Conley | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 1995 | Cessna 172L | Stanley, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Feb 1995 | Cessna 172 | Holland, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 1995 | Cessna 172 | Yerington, Nevada, United States | Jesse N. Nish | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 1995 | Cessna 172 | Wauseon, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Aug 1995 | Cessna 172D | Hague, Virginia, United States | Morgan T Moore | No injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Feb 1995 | Cessna 150A | Grant, Michigan, United States | Harry Sutliffe | No injuries | - |
| 23 Feb 1995 | Cessna 152 | Owosso, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 1995 | Cessna 150 | Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Mar 1995 | Piper PA-28-181 | Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Mar 1995 | Cessna 172 | Alma, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 1995 | Beechcraft 58 | Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |