Cessna 172 accident near Brook Haven, Mississippi, April 8, 1982
On April 8, 1982 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6444B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brook Haven, Mississippi. 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 1982 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Brook Haven, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6444B · no longer on the register · serial 29644
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT VISUALLY CHECKED THE FUEL LEVEL BEFORE TAKEOFF AND ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD 15 TO 16 GALLONS REMAINING. SINCE THE FLIGHT WAS PLANNED FOR 30 TO 45 MINUTES, NO FUEL WAS ADDED. HOWEVER, AFTER FLYING FOR 30 TO 35 MINUTES, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT LANDED IN A PASTURE, BUT WAS FORCED TO STEER THE AIRCRAFT TOWARD TREES TO AVOID HITTING COWS. THE PLANE STRUCK TWO TREES AND A FENCE AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THERE WAS ONLY TRACES OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE PILOT SUSPECTED THAT FUEL HAD DRAINED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. SOME BEADS OF FUEL WERE PRESENT ON THE GASCOLATOR DRAIN, BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A LARGE FUEL LEAK. A CHECK OF THE FUEL GAUGES REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT GAUGE INDICATED THE TANK WAS EMPTY, BUT THE LEFT GAUGE WAS READING BETWEEN 1/4 FULL AND EMPTY.
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: 8,000 hours in all; 32 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,800 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Brook Haven MS at 4:00 pm
- Destination: Brook Haven MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 158°F (70°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.