Cessna 172 F accident near Greenwood, Mississippi, January 20, 2001
On January 20, 2001 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172 F, registered N7882U, was destroyed in an accident near Greenwood, Mississippi (Greenwood Lefore airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight fire for undetermined reasons. Finding: A factor is the maintenance modification was performed by company personnel prior to the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 2001 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Greenwood, Mississippi · Greenwood Lefore · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 F · all 172 Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7882U · no longer on the register · serial 17251882
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he noticed smoke in the cabin, and turned around and saw flames behind him. He turned off the master switch and turned the airplane back towards the airport. The pilot landed on the grass next to the runway, and exited the airplane. Suddenly, the pilot executed a left turn and returned to the airport. The controller observed smoke coming from the airplane as the pilot maneuvered the airplane for an emergency landing on the airport.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 560 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 500 as pilot in command; 230 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 21, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,608 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 31, 2000; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: GWO Greenwood MS at 11:00 pm
- Destination: GWO Greenwood MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 6,503 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from GWO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.