Cessna 172K N84385

Summary

On 23 June 2023 at about 11:04 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N84385 was involved in an accident near Marana, Arizona, 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

23 June 2023 at 11:04

Classification

Accident

Location

Marana, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

32.5474, -111.3608

Aircraft

Cessna 172K

Registration

N84385

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Inyokern → Tucson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

WPR23LA241

Nobody was injured.

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 departed on the cross-country flight with an estimated 38 gallons of fuel onboard. While enroute, the pilot deviated from the direct route to his destination, which increased his enroute time and distance. Flight track data revealed that the airplane arrived near the planned fuel stop, but the pilot stated that he diverted to another airport when he could not activate the runway lights at his intended fuel stop. After travelling for about 3 hours, 46 minutes, a total of about 467 miles, and about 5 miles short of the airport intended to be his second fuel stop, the engine lost total power about the time that the pilot stated that the fuel quantity gauges had “dropped all the way to basically nothing.” The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation but suspected that the airplane may have developed a fuel leak. Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of a fuel leak. Based on the available information, it is likely that the loss of power was the result of fuel exhaustion. The Owner’s Manual Cruise and Range Performance Chart revealed that with 38 gallons of fuel, the accident flight’s distance and time enroute were within the chart limits; however, the accident flight consisted mostly of low altitude maneuvering flight that were not addressed by the Owner’s Manual. Field sobriety testing of the pilot was conducted at the scene of the accident, with no determination of impairment being made by law enforcement at that time. Toxicological testing of the pilot’s blood indicated that the pilot likely had used a cannabis product, cocaine, amphetamine, and MDMA. Although his use of these controlled substances conveyed significant risk of impairment, available evidence was insufficient to determine the precise timing of his substance use, specific impairing effects during the accident flight, or whether such effects contributed to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.