Cessna 172 accident near Chatsworth, Georgia, September 25, 2010
On September 25, 2010 at about 2:49 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N84249, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Chatsworth, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate flight planning and in-flight fuel management resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the operator's failure to ensure aircraft records pertaining to engine modifications and fuel burn rates were available to flight crewmembers.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 2010 · about 2:49 am local time
- Place
- Chatsworth, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 K · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N84249 · no longer on the register · serial 17258394
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to departure, the pilot filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan to his destination airport and calculated a fuel burn rate of 9 gallons of fuel per hour. Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes after departure, the pilot canceled his IFR flight plan with the air traffic controller without giving a reason and changed his destination airport. One minute later, the pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control, reporting his engine had failed. Witnesses in the vicinity of the crash site observed the airplane flying at tree top level, and reported they could not hear the engine running. The airplane made a steep right turn, struck the top of a tree, and collided with the ground. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies. The right main fuel tank was not ruptured and contained 1 quart of fuel. The left main fuel tank was not ruptured and contained 2 1/2 gallons of fuel, 2 of which were considered unusable fuel. Review of the airplane logbooks revealed the engine horsepower had been increased to 160 horsepower, and the airplane's fuel burn rate was increased due to a modification by a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) 8 years prior to the accident. A copy of the STC was not located in the airplane wreckage. The registered owner reported the pilot had received instruction on the STC; however, no documentation was provided substantiating this instruction. He further stated the STC only increased the fuel burn rate for the first 5 minutes of flight at takeoff power. Review of the engine Operator's Manual revealed the maximum fuel usage at full power, is about 13.6 gallons per hour. At 82 percent power the fuel burn rate is about 11.25 gallons per hour.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Documentation/record keeping › Maintenance records › Operator
- factor Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Related operating info
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Last flight review: September 9, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Crew member
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 10 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,708 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 7, 2010; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight Training Express LLC
The flight
- Departed from: X50 New Smyrna Beac FL at 11:08 pm
- Destination: CHA Chattanooga TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 2:19 am from DNN, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.