Cessna 172C accident near Wichita, Kansas, October 20, 2023
On October 20, 2023 at about 11:55 pm local time, a 1961 Cessna 172C, registered N1413Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Wichita, Kansas (Dwight D Eisenhower airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and fuel planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 2023 · about 11:55 pm local time
- Place
- Wichita, Kansas · Dwight D Eisenhower · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172C, built 1961 · all 172Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1413Y · registry record · serial 17249113
- 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 she filled the airplane with fuel before departure. After flying for about 4 hours, the engine lost power and she executed a forced landing on a road about 1.5 miles from the destination airport. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted two street signs and a power pole guy wire which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies with the fuel system; the fuel tanks were empty, and there was no evidence of a fuel leak. About 8 ounces of fuel were recovered from the gascolator. The pilot noted that verification of total fuel onboard before each departure and more accurate usage of the airplane’s performance charts could have prevented the accident.
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 approach defining event
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 288.9 hours in all; 110.7 in this make and model; 20.9 in the last 90 days; 9.1 in the last 30 days; 204.4 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 16, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,136 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 21, 2022; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300D (piston); 1,250 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AAO Wichita KS at 11:43 pm
- Destination: ICT Wichita KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19L, 7,302 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.83 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KICT, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KICT 202353Z 19007KT 10SM CLR 22/06 A2983 RMK AO2 SLP096 T02170061 10300 20217 56008
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN24LA019.