Cessna 172F accident near Williamsport, Indiana, January 27, 2018
On January 27, 2018 at about 6:20 am local time, a 1965 Cessna 172F, registered N8559U, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Williamsport, Indiana. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's mismanagement of fuel, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and descent and collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 27, 2018 · about 6:20 am local time
- Place
- Williamsport, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F, built 1965 · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8559U · no longer on the register · serial 17252459
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was ferrying the newly-purchased airplane cross-country for the new owner. The first leg of the trip was completed without incident. After refueling the airplane, the pilot departed and proceeded toward the destination in night visual meteorological conditions. After about 3 hours, 51 minutes of flight, the airplane descended and impacted trees and terrain about 9 miles short of the destination. Examination of the wreckage revealed evidence of fuel exhaustion; both main fuel tanks were intact, no fuel was observed inside the tanks, and no fuel smell was noticed at the site. The lack of damage to the propeller blades was consistent with the engine not developing power at impact. According to the manufacturer's performance chart, with full main tanks, the airplane had an endurance of about 3.7 hours. Therefore, it is likely that the engine lost power as a result of fuel exhaustion. Although toxicology testing was positive for opioids, the relative amounts of these opioids detected in urine suggest that the source may have been the ingestion of poppy seeds rather than pharmaceuticals.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,792 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 25, 2017; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors O-300-C (piston); 4,792 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLCK Columbus OH at 2:30 am
- Destination: KDNV Danville IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 200° at 21 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 am from KDNV, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on April 8, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opsview, radar, and GPS Flight Track of N8559U | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Tabular radar Data | PDF, 68 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Fuel Invoice, Rickenbacker Aviation-epic Fueling | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Cruise-range Performance Chart, Cessna 172F | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Report Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Global Positioning System - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.