Cessna 172L accident near Picayune, Mississippi, June 4, 2001
On June 4, 2001 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172L, registered N18PF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Picayune, Mississippi. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inflight fuel planning /decision that resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power. A factor was the failure of the fuel transfer pump.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2001 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Picayune, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N18PF · registry record · serial 17260457
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was enroute when the engine lost power and quit. During an emergency descent out of 4500 feet, the pilot attempted to restore full engine power but failed. During the emergency descent to land in a hilly farm field, the airplane's left wing struck a utility pole severing the left wing from the airplane. During the onsite inspection, the two main fuel tanks were found to be empty as well as the right auxiliary fuel tank. The left auxiliary fuel tank had approximately 11.5 gallons. The pilot attempted, but was unable to switch to the left auxiliary fuel tank due to a blown fuse. The fuses to the auxiliary fuel tanks are not accessible to the pilot in flight, this resulted in his inability to check them for condition or replace them, in flight.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 1,125 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,125 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 6, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,626.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 2001; 36.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-AIA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KEUF Eufaula MS at 1:15 pm
- Destination: KBXA Bogolusa LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 22 ft; scat at 18 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from KGTT, 40 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL01LA062.