Cessna 172G N1374F

Summary

On 3 September 2023 at about 00:15 local time, a Cessna 172G registered N1374F was involved in an accident near Neola, Iowa, 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

3 September 2023 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Neola, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

41.4480, -95.6318

Aircraft

Cessna 172G

Registration

N1374F

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sac City → Council Bluffs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA396

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning and improper in-flight decision-making, 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 reported that the airplane was full of fuel before he departed for the cross-country flight. After flying for about 2 hours and 50 minutes, with a significant headwind, he decided to divert to an airport to refuel. During his attempt to refuel, it was discovered that the fuel pumps were out of order, and he did not see the active notice to airmen (NOTAM) for the out of order fuel pumps. The pilot calculated the fuel remaining in the airplane and departed for his destination. After flying for about 40 minutes, the engine lost power and he executed a forced landing on a road about 12 miles from the destination airport. During the landing, the airplane impacted a swale and nosed over adjacent to the road which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot noted that a more thorough flight planning and a more accurate use of the airplane’s performance charts could have prevented the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.