Cessna 172N accident near Parowan, Utah, February 13, 2004
On February 13, 2004 at about 6:00 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N9892J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Parowan, Utah (Parowan Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's in-flight decision/planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion. The fence and night conditions were contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 13, 2004 · about 6:00 am local time
- Place
- Parowan, Utah · Parowan Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N9892J · no longer on the register · serial 17273952
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he topped-off the airplane with fuel, and departed to the west on a long cross-country flight. After flying for several hours, he saw the "glow of [city] lights" and thought it was his destination. He attempted to contact the airport by radio, but did not receive a response. He stated that, at that time, he was unable to pick up the VOR. At that point he realized that he must have drifted north and off of his intended heading. He said he adjusted his heading to the southwest, and climbed to a higher altitude. Shortly thereafter, he located his destination, and through radio contact, turned on the runway lights. As he flew over the airport, the airplane's engine began to lose power and then it "cut out." He circled around the airport as he descended and set up for a forced landing on runway 22. On the final approach, he realized that he wasn't going to make the runway. He said that he "increased the [airplane's] angle of attack," but the airplane fell short of the runway. The airplane's right wing struck a fence post and the airplane impacted the terrain approximately 50 yards short of the runway threshold. The airplane's right wing spar was bent outboard of the wing strut, and the nose landing gear was separated from the gear fork. An on-site examination of the airplane revealed that both wing fuel tanks were empty.
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: 152 hours in all; 135 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 95 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,206 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 20, 2004; 61.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AEG Albuquerque NM at 1:30 am
- Destination: CDC Cedar City UT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 220, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from KCDC, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N9892J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.