Cessna 172P N89811

Summary

On 21 March 2003 at about 23:09 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N89811 was involved in an accident near Potts Camp, Mississippi, United States. 3 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 2003 at 23:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Potts Camp, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

34.6333, -89.3000

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N89811

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pensacola → Holly Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA03LA078

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a forced landing to a field, and damage to the airplane during the landing rollout.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that while en route to his fuel stop, about 5 minutes prior to the accident, while scanning the airplane instruments, he was surprised to see that the fuel gauges were indicating below the 5-gallon mark for each tank. After monitoring the gauges, and seeing them stabilize, he said he again started to feel confident in his calculations. About 14 miles south of Holly Springs, Mississippi, in the vicinity of Potts Camp, Mississippi, he said the engine ceased operating. He said he established the best glide speed, while looking for and selecting a field where he could execute a forced landing. As the airplane was descending he attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. After maneuvering to avoid wires, he landed the airplane in the field, and during the landing rollout the airplane's nose wheel became entangled in a wire fence, and the airplane was damaged. An FAA inspector responded to the accident scene, and noted that no fuel was present in the airplane. After recovery from the field, an FAA licensed airframe and power plant mechanic, under the supervision of the FAA inspector, conducted an examination of the airplane, and no anomalies were found. When fuel was provided, and the damaged propeller replaced, the airplane's engine was tested and it operated normally.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.