Cessna 172G accident near Winter Haven, Florida, November 21, 2010
On November 21, 2010 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172G, registered N3700L, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Winter Haven, Florida (Winter Haven'S Gilbert 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight/inflight fuel planning resulting in fuel exhaustion and total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 2010 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Winter Haven, Florida · Winter Haven'S Gilbert Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172G · all 172Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3700L · no longer on the register · serial 17253869
- 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 reviewed the weather prior to departing on the 416-nautical mile cross-country flight. The pilot fueled the airplane with 30.1 gallons of fuel the morning of the flight. About 3 miles from the destination airport, as the airplane was descending through 1,500 feet mean sea level, the engine sputtered and subsequently experienced a loss of power. During the forced landing, the airplane struck a tree, continued down an incline, and came to rest in a small pond, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the firewall. A postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane's left fuel tank contained 2.5 gallons of fuel, the right fuel tank contained 0.5 gallons of fuel; the fuel selector was in the "BOTH" position. A review of the airplane's applicable Owner's Manual revealed that the unusable fuel in level flight was 0.5 gallons. At 67 percent power, and operating with a lean mixture, the airplane's fuel consumption rate was 7.6 gallons per hour. When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot stated that he should have stopped for fuel en route.
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 (descent) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 391 hours in all; 391 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 391 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,345 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor 0-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GYH Greenville SC at 1:00 pm
- Destination: GIF Winter Haven FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from GIF
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.