Cessna 172H N3732R accident near Baytown, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to verify the fuel onboard before the flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB analysis

The pilot and two passengers completed a 45-minute local sightseeing flight at night, then returned to the airport for a touch-and-go landing. About 400 ft above ground level after takeoff, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing in a flat, clear area of a city park. As the airplane descended, the right wing impacted a set of electrical transmission wires. The pilot lost control and the airplane impacted terrain, where it came to rest inverted.

An on-scene examination of the wreckage showed no evidence of fuel. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. The pilot reported that he had last fueled the airplane more than 6 months before the accident; he estimated that a total of 32 gallons of fuel was onboard at that time. He also estimated that the airplane had been flown about 2 hours 20 minutes since refueling, and that there should have been about 45 minutes of fuel remaining at the time of the accident. Data from the airplane's hand-held GPS showed that within the previous 6 months, the device had recorded flights totaling about 4 hours. Thus, the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to verify the available fuel before the accident flight.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN14LA347 for the full record.