Cessna 172L N2843Q

Summary

On 13 November 2000 at about 12:50 local time, a Cessna 172L registered N2843Q was involved in an accident near Winchester, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 November 2000 at 12:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Winchester, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Winchester Regional Arpt (OKV)

Coordinates

39.1404, -78.2799

Aircraft

Cessna 172L

Registration

N2843Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Doylestown → Front Royal

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC01LA036

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to obtain a pre-departure or en route weather briefing, which led to fuel exhaustion, after his destination and alternate airports were covered by fog. A factor was the fog.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot flew for 2 hours and arrived after the airport had closed. Unable to obtain fuel, and with no ground transportation available, he elected to spent the night in the airplane. He departed at 0430 the following morning, and did not obtain a pre-departure or en route weather briefing. Low clouds covered his planned destination airport. He diverted to two other nearby airports, which were also covered by low clouds, and then returned to his destination airport, which was still covered by clouds. He contacted approach control, reported that he was low on fuel, and requested vectors to a nearby VFR airport. He was vectored toward an airport; however, the engine lost power prior to reaching it. The airplane was landed in a field about 2 miles from the airport. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident it was hazy and he could see the runway. He further added that the clouds came in immediately after the accident. A FAA inspector reported the fuel tanks were empty, and there was no evidence of fuel leakage or siphoning. The pilot estimated the airplane had been flown about 5 1/2 hours since the last refueling.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.