Cessna 172N N739HQ

Summary

On 21 March 2004 at about 17:45 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N739HQ was involved in an accident near Creswell, Oregon, 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.

Date

21 March 2004 at 17:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Creswell, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Hobby Field (77S)

Coordinates

42.9381, -123.9928

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N739HQ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Creswell → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA04LA052

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's attempting takeoff with the fuel selector in the OFF position resulting in fuel starvation. Contributing factors were the change in habit pattern and expectancy of the fuel selector position as well as the fence and tree.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

At the completion of the flight immediately prior to the accident flight the pilot changed his habit pattern of 29 years and moved the fuel selector to the OFF position. The aircraft was equipped with a floor mounted fuel selector with 4 positions (OFF-LEFT-BOTH-RIGHT starting at the 6 o'clock position and moving counterclockwise respectively). Eight days later he took the plane out and relying only on tactile information ascertained the fuel selector in a fore-aft position assuming it was in the BOTH setting. The pilot physically but not visually verified the fuel selector in this position twice before taking off. Immediately after takeoff the engine stopped operating. A forced landing was accomplished during which the aircraft impacted a fence and a tree. The pilot reported that following the forced landing he placed the fuel selector in the OFF position. When the FAA inspector checked the aircraft following the accident he found the fuel selector in the "BOTH" position (12 o'clock position) as opposed to the "OFF" position (6 o'clock position).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.