Cessna 172N N1371E
16 December 1997 · McKinney, Texas, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 16 December 1997 at about 07:00 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N1371E was involved in an accident near McKinney, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously 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 07:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- McKinney, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.1808, -96.5890
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N
- Registration
- N1371E
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Stuttgart → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Bright
- NTSB number
- FTW98LA069
People
3 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate in-flight/planning decision which resulted in continued flight until fuel exhaustion. Related factors were incorrect fuel gauge readings and trees.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A total loss of engine power occurred during the final descent to the destination airport. Fluctuation of the fuel quantity gauges was reported by the pilot. The pilot planned the cruise flight at 75 percent power and leaned the mixture by using the EGT gauge. A passenger reported the aircraft 'ran out of fuel.' There was no evidence of fuel at the accident site. The company mechanic had informed the pilot that the engine would run lean and that fuel consumption for the airplane varied from 8 gph to 12 gph. The total cross country flight time was calculated at 5 hours and 11 to 19 minutes. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, the endurance at 75 percent cruise power is approximately 5 hrs 24 minutes. No pre-existing mechanical anomalies were found that would have precluded engine producing power. Testing of the fuel sending units revealed inaccuracy of the cockpit fuel gauge readings.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jun 1997 | Cessna 172P | Fowlerville, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 1997 | Cessna 172N | Lakeland, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 1997 | Cessna 172M | Athens, Tennessee, United States | Michael B. Guest | No injuries | - |
| 24 Nov 1997 | Cessna 172N | La Jolla, California, United States | Richard Jones | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Aug 1997 | Cessna 172P | Rockhill, South Carolina, United States | Scott S. Fisher | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 1997 | Cessna 172 | Middletown, Ohio, United States | Barbara F. Schmidt | No injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun 1997 | Aero Commander CALLAIR A-9B | El Indio, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 1997 | Cessna 182Q | Sugar Land, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Whitewright, Texas, United States | Centerline Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 1997 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Edna, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 1997 | Cessna 152 | Gorman, Texas, United States | Spencer Jones | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 1997 | Cessna 152 | Fort Worth, Texas, United States | Bridgeport Flight Training | Minor injuries | - |