Cessna 172 K accident near Panama City, Florida, June 19, 2005
On June 19, 2005 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172 K, registered N7748L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Panama City, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate planning of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2005 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Panama City, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 K · all 172 Ks on the register
- Registration
- N7748L · no longer on the register · serial 17259013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was in the process of completing a routine solo cross country flight back to Tyndall Air Force Base when the engine lost power. When his attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful, the student pilot chose a parking lot for an emergency landing. The airplane landed in the parking lot. The student pilot then applied "full brakes" in an effort to stop the airplane, however the airplane failed to stop by the end of the parking lot and hit a curb. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed the nose gear torn from the airframe and the airplane was inverted. There was also no fuel recovered from the right or left fuel tanks. Further examination revealed that the fuel tanks were not breached. The pilot reported that he took off with 38 gallons of fuel. The performance data for the Cessna 172K states that it consumes about 10.90 gallons of fuel per hour. The accident airplane had flown for a total of 4 hours since the last refueling.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 43 hours in all; 43 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 0-300 Ser (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tyndall Afb Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: KPAM Panama City FL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: KPAM Panama City FL
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KPFN, 3 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.