Cessna 172M accident near Quitman, Mississippi, September 19, 2012
On September 19, 2012 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N172HA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Quitman, Mississippi. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2012 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Quitman, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N172HA · no longer on the register · serial 17260872
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After flying for about 3 hours on a routine pipeline patrol flight at 1,500 feet above ground level, the engine “sputtered,” then ceased producing power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful and prepared for an emergency landing in a farm field below. The pilot was unable to recall the events that subsequently transpired, but a postaccident examination of the airplane showed that the left main landing gear collapsed during the landing, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and engine firewall. Additionally, the fuel system remained intact and both fuel tanks were absent of fuel. About 1/2 pint of fuel was recovered from the fuel strainer, carburetor supply fuel line, and the carburetor float bowl. Following the accident, the pilot stated that he did not check the fuel level prior to departing on the accident flight and that the accident could have been prevented by performing a proper preflight inspection of the airplane using the published procedure in the pilot’s operating handbook.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not inspected
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 880 hours in all; 808 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 74 in the last 30 days; 550 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 23, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,275 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 12J Brewton AL at 1:00 pm
- Destination: 12J Brewton AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:58 pm from MEI, 17 miles away
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.