Cessna 175 accident near Charlotte, North Carolina, March 18, 2005
On March 18, 2005 at about 11:53 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N7148M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a positioning 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 failure to follow the checklist by his failure to verify the fuel selector was in the on position which resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 2005 · about 11:53 pm local time
- Place
- Charlotte, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7148M · no longer on the register · serial 55448
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he departed Charlotte Douglas international Airport and climbed to 2,000 feet. The engine sputtered and lost power. He pulled the carburetor heat out, checked the magnetos, mixture full rich, and verified with his hand that the fuel selector was on both. He made a left turn back towards the airport and declared an emergency. The pilot made an emergency landing to a parking lot. The airplane collided with a curb, nosed over against a boulder, and a private automobile. The pilot stated that his mechanic changed the oil in his airplane before the first flight of the day. The mechanic informed the pilot that he had moved the fuel selector to the off position. The pilot stated he did not check the fuel selector valve during his preflight nor did he visually check it when the engine quit.. The pilot reported he did not verify the fuel selector valve position which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion." On scene examination of the fuel selector valve by the FAA revealed the fuel selector valve was in the off position and no anomalies were noted with the fuel selector valve. Review of the Cessna 175 Owner's Manual states in Figure 10. Exterior Inspection Diagram, "1. b. Turn off master switch, check ignition switch for "OFF" position, check tank selector on "BOTH." The Owner's Manual further sates on page 2-4, "BEFORE LANDING. (1) Set fuel selector to "both tanks."
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 0-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLT Charlotte NC at 11:50 pm
- Destination: 28A Charlotte NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 070° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 pm from CLT, 6 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.
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.