Cessna 172C accident near Nortonville, North Dakota, June 4, 2008
On June 4, 2008 at about 3:56 pm local time, a Cessna 172C, registered N1437Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Nortonville, North Dakota. 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 inadequate preflight which resulted in insufficient fuel on board to complete the flight. A factor associated with the accident was the soft terrain encountered during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2008 · about 3:56 pm local time
- Place
- Nortonville, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172C · all 172Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1437Y · no longer on the register · serial 17249137
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to takeoff the pilot checked the fuel quantity using the gauges which were indicating a quarter tank of fuel on the left side, and a half tank of fuel on the right side. He did not visually check the quantity by looking in the tanks. The pilot recalled that approximately 50 minutes into the flight, the left fuel tank was indicating less than one-eight of a tank, and the right tank was indicating between one-quarter and one-half of a tank. He stated that shortly thereafter the engine stopped producing power. He checked the magnetos and switched fuel tanks, but did not apply carburetor heat. When he switched the fuel selector to the right fuel tank position, the engine momentarily "seemed like it would start, but it did not." The pilot lined the airplane up to land on a road, then noticed power lines crossing the road. He then selected an open field in which to land. He maneuvered the airplane to line up parallel with the plowed rows, and said he did not have enough time to extend the flaps. The airplane nosed over when the nose wheel dug into the soft terrain. Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed a total of less than 1-quart of fuel was on the airplane. There was no indication of fuel leaking from the airplane following 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 enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 130 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BIS Bismarck ND at 2:40 pm
- Destination: 6L3 Lisbon ND
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.55 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from JMS, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.