Cessna 172H accident near Oakwood, Georgia, April 17, 2005
On April 17, 2005 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172H, registered N1643F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oakwood, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power due to fuel system contamination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 2005 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oakwood, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172H · all 172Hs on the register
- Registration
- N1643F · no longer on the register · serial 17255038
- 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, after about 30-minutes of flight he felt a slight shudder in the engine which lasted for about three seconds. The engine did not lose any power and all instruments remained in the green. About 5-minutes later, with no indication or warning, the engine immediately stopped and the propeller wind milled. During the forced landing the airplane struck a power line, and landed hard on the main landing gear. Examination of the engine found the carburetor broken at its attach point on the intake manifold on the bottom of the engine. The carburetor was removed and disassembled. Examination of the carburetor float bowl found reddish/brown particles resting in the bottom of the float bowl. Additionally, flakes of the reddish/brown particles were found clogging the carburetor jet pickup. A replacement carburetor was installed on the engine and the engine was started and was run up to 1500 revolutions per minute. The engine ran for about five-minutes before being shutdown with the mixture control.
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: 201 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 201 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 25, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,422.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 2005; 3.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDK Dekalb GA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: PDK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from GVL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.