Cessna 172G accident near Clarksville, Florida, February 23, 2011
On February 23, 2011 at about 7:56 pm local time, a Cessna 172G, registered N3740L, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Clarksville, Florida. It was an aerial observation 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
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the owner's improper maintenance of the fuel selector valve, which resulted in a lack of fuel supply from the right fuel tank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 2011 · about 7:56 pm local time
- Place
- Clarksville, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172G · all 172Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3740L · no longer on the register · serial 17253909
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, prior to conducting low level power line inspection flights, he filled both fuel tanks. During the flight, the pilot noted the right fuel tank guage showed about 3/4 full, and the left guage showed about 1/4 full. He was not concerned because he knew he had sufficient fuel due to timing. About 2 hours, 45 minutes of flight time after refueling, the engine lost power. The pilot's attempts to restart the engine by switching fuel tanks and applying carburetor heat were unsuccessful. The airplane descended into trees, coming to rest nose-down in a near-vertical attitude. The following day, the pilot and an FAA inspector saw fuel leaking from the right wing fuel cap vent, but not from the left. A postaccident engine test revealed that, with fuel in both tanks, the engine would start and operate with fuel selected from the left tank and both tanks, but not from the right tank. Additional examination revealed that a small steel ball from the right supply side of the fuel selector had migrated to the gascolator. The steel ball would have normally been able to push against a spring-loaded larger steel ball, which then would have been displaced away from an orifice to allow fuel to flow. The airplane's owner and a friend, who were not certificated mechanics, had previously performed maintenance on the fuel selector, which likely dislodged the small steel ball. The dislodged small steel ball would normally have prevented fuel flow from the right tank immediately. However, the right tank did supply fuel to the engine for about 10 subsequent hours of airplane operation, likely because the larger steel ball had been temporarily jammed into an open position due to debris found in the fuel selector.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
- 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 Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,885 hours in all; 1,530 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 4,835 as pilot in command; 2,128 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 24, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,244 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 2010; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1J0 Bonifay FL at 5:45 pm
- Destination: 75FL Panama City FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from MAI, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.