Cessna 172 N6261E

Summary

On 31 January 1998 at about 20:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N6261E was involved in an accident near Valkaria, Florida, United States. One person was 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.

Date

31 January 1998 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Valkaria, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Valkaria (X59)

Coordinates

27.9798, -80.5801

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N6261E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sabastian → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA98LA065

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's inadequate preflight, and subsequent loss of engine power, due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted in a forced landing and impact with trees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was on a short flight to buy fuel at Valkaria. The pilot reported that at a cruise altitude of about 1,500 feet, the engine began to sputter. He said that before he departed, '...my fuel indicators were showing, left tank between 1/2-1/4 and right just above 1/4 tank...I did not dip my tanks.' About 6 miles from the destination airport, the airplane's engine 'sputtered.' He switched to the left tank, the right tank, then back to both tanks. He tried both magnetos, and the problem did not clear. The engine then was 'windmilling.' The pilot elected to make a forced landing in a field, and the airplane struck a tree with the left wing. Examination of the airplane revealed, no fuel in either tank. Examination of the engine did not reveal any discrepancies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.