Cessna 140 accident near Clearwater, Florida, April 25, 1997
On April 25, 1997 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N2351V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Clearwater, Florida (Clearwater Airpark airport). 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 failure to select the fuller tank for takeoff that resulted in fuel starvation to the engine, and the subsequent total 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
- April 25, 1997 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Clearwater, Florida · Clearwater Airpark
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N2351V · no longer on the register · serial 14587
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had completed a touch and go landing and was climbing through 400 feet when he experienced a loss of engine power. The pilot initiated a left turn, and elected to return to the airport for an emergency landing. The airplane collided with the ground between the two parrellel taxiways. Examination of the aircraft disclosed that there was no fuel in the left main fuel tank. A substantial amount of fuel was recovered from the right main fuel tank. During the initial examination of the cockpit area, the fuel selector was on the left tank. Examination of the airframe failed to disclose a mechanical problem.
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: 518 hours in all; 408 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLW at 2:58 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from PIE, 10 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.