Cessna 172E N5730T
4 April 1996 · Roanoke, Virginia, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 4 April 1996 at about 15:09 local time, a Cessna 172E registered N5730T was involved in an accident near Roanoke, Virginia, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:09
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Roanoke, Virginia, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172E
- Registration
- N5730T
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lumberton → Blacksburg
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- IAD96LA056
People
3 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's misjudged estimation of the airplane's fuel supply for the flight. Related factors are the inadequate preflight inspection, the pilot's expectation that the airplane had been topped off, and the soft terrain encountered during the forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that during his preflight inspection of the airplane he visually inspected the fuel tanks and they appeared to be full. Approximately 10 minutes from the Roanoke Airport, the pilot noted that the fuel quantity gauges indicated about 1/4 tank of fuel. He contacted Roanoke ATC, advised them he was low on fuel, and proceeded inbound to land. Shortly thereafter, the engine began to sputter, then completely lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing, but '...[when the] main wheels hit the soft turf, the nose wheel dug into the ground and we flipped over.' Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of fuel present in the fuel tanks or the area surrounding the accident site. The pilot stated that, although he had requested that the airplane be 'topped off' with fuel before his flight, another pilot had flown for 1.6 hours since the airplane was refueled. He stated that he should have used a more precise method to measure fuel quantity before he departed.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Mar 1996 | Cessna 172L | Napa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 1996 | Cessna 172N | New Smyrna Bch, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 1996 | Cessna 172N | Enumclaw, Washington, United States | Aeroflight | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Oct 1996 | Cessna 172C | Mesa, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 1996 | Cessna 172 | Frederick, Maryland, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 1996 | Cessna 172M | Tremont City, Ohio, United States | MAD River Airport, Inc. | No injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jan 1996 | Mooney M20F | Cape Charles, Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Aug 1996 | Champion 7ECA | Ashland, Virginia, United States | Performance Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 13 Aug 1996 | Beechcraft A36 | Roanoke, Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 30 Oct 1996 | Cessna 172L | Brandy Station, Virginia, United States | Warrenton Flight Center | Fatal | 2 |
| 16 Nov 1996 | Beechcraft 65-A90 | Orange, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Oct 1996 | Cessna 140 | Wakefield, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |