Cessna R172K accident near Plover, Wisconsin, September 1, 2023
On September 1, 2023 at about 6:50 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna R172K, registered N172SP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Plover, Wisconsin. It was a personal 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 fuel management which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2023 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Plover, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K, built 1977 · all R172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N172SP · registry record · serial R172-2842
- 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 while en route to his planned fuel stop destination, the engine experienced a slight hesitation. The pilot then changed course to the nearest airport and turned on the auxiliary fuel pump. The engine roughness stopped for about 15 seconds, then occurred again, and the engine subsequently lost total power. Unable to maintain altitude and reach the nearest airport, the pilot conducted a forced landing to a roadway. During the forced landing, the airplane’s left wing tip struck a roadway sign, and the right float impacted a moving vehicle that was on the roadway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing rear spar. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the left fuel tank contained no usable fuel, and the right tank contained about 14 gallons of fuel. The fuel selector was found in the left fuel tank position. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 starvation during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,226 hours in all; 1,397 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 1,903 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 7, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,662 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 21, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-KB-3 (piston); 1,444 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGS St. Paul MN at 5:30 pm
- Destination: PCZ Waupaca WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 5, 2023. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photograph | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN23LA393.