Cessna 172 N8257L

Summary

On 16 February 2024 at about 06:40 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N8257L was involved in an accident near Pierson, Florida, 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

16 February 2024 at 06:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Pierson, Florida, United States

Coordinates

29.1454, -81.4186

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N8257L

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Slidell → Deland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA24LA115

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a repositioning flight, the engine lost power shortly before reaching the intended destination. The pilot attempted to restart the engine; however, he was unable to restore engine power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a heavily forested area, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, and both wings. The pilot stated that he performed a pre-flight fuel calculation with a total estimated fuel consumption of 33.75 gallons; the airplane had a 38-gallon usable fuel capacity. The pilot also reported that he had minimal sleep and was fatigued so he did not recalculate the amount of fuel on board during the flight. The pilot stated, “The accident happened due to fuel [exhaustion] and stretching the limits for way too much flying at night in a new-to-me aircraft the first time.” The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.