Cessna 172N accident near Rawlins, Wyoming, November 12, 1999
On November 12, 1999 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N5225D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rawlins, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning preparation which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Factors in the accident were the unsuitable terrain on which to make a forced landing and the pilot's lack of experience in aircraft type.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 1999 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rawlins, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5225D · registry record · serial 17272457
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he drained 'three inches' of fuel from the fuel tanks because he would be carrying three passengers and their luggage, and he did not want to exceed the airplane's maximum gross weight of 2,550 pounds. About 2 hours 50 minutes after takeoff, 15 miles from his destination, the engine lost power and the pilot performed a forced landing to a rough field. The pilot indicated, and examination of the airplane confirmed, that fuel exhaustion was the reason the engine lost power. The pilot reported he received incorrect information about the fuel tanks that led him to believe that he had more fuel than the tanks held. He said there was only enough fuel for about 2.9 hours. The pilot reported that he thought the airplane's useable fuel was 50 gallons, not 38 gallons.
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: 88 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 43 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,395 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 22, 1999; 278 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVU Provo UT at 3:10 pm
- Destination: RWL WY
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from RWL, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.