Cessna 172 N79575

Summary

On 28 July 2019 at about 21:32 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N79575, operated by Fox Valley Flyers Inc, was involved in an accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 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

28 July 2019 at 21:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

43.9547, -88.6642

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N79575

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Fox Valley Flyers Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Iowa City → Appleton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19CA239

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper fuel planning and decision to not divert to a closer airport when the planned flight profile changed, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting the return leg of a cross-country flight. He reported that the airplane was full of fuel before he departed on the first leg of the trip, the duration of which he did not provide. The pilot also reported that he was concerned with the weather at his destination and did not add fuel before departing on the accident flight to expedite his return. He had planned the flight at 7,000 ft mean sea level and felt there was enough fuel onboard at that altitude. After about 1 hour of flight, an air traffic controller directed the pilot to climb to 9,000 ft and rerouted the flight. The pilot stated he became concerned with the fuel level at that time due to the climb and change in wind, but he chose to continue to his destination. About 30 minutes later and 20 miles short of the intended destination, the engine lost all power due to fuel exhaustion, and the pilot subsequently conducted an emergency landing in a field. At no time during the flight did the pilot express his concerns about the lack of fuel onboard to the controller, request a diversion to a closer airport, or declare an emergency. The elevator sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.