Cessna 172 N5453K

Summary

On 11 August 2023 at about 18:10 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N5453K was involved in an accident near Port Norris, New Jersey, 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

11 August 2023 at 18:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Norris, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Millville Municipal (MIV)

Coordinates

39.2500, -75.0600

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N5453K

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Creek → Wildwood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA333

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he departed on the flight with a total of 18 gallons of fuel on board. About one hour into the flight, while over water, the engine lost power. He established best glide configuration and prepared to ditch the airplane. His personal flotation vest became entangled in the seat belt and headset wire and he did not feel that he had sufficient time to refer to the emergency procedures checklist. After attempting restart the engine and declaring an emergency, the engine regained power. After setting up to land at a nearby airport, the engine lost power again, so he performed a forced landing in a farm field. After touchdown, the nose landing gear dug into the soil and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The airframe was substantially damaged. The pilot noted that the fuel selector handle was in the “left tank” position at the time of the accident. An examination of the fuel system revealed there were 1.5 gallons of fuel in the left wing tank, which remained intact, and 10 gallons in the right tank. The standard unusable fuel quantity for each of the airplane’s fuel tanks was 1.5 gallons. Based on the available information, the circumstances of the accident are consistent with a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.