Cessna 170 accident near Raymond, Mississippi, June 30, 2015
On June 30, 2015 at about 7:45 pm local time, a 1948 Cessna 170, registered N4027V, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Raymond, Mississippi (John Bell Williams Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel system resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2015 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Raymond, Mississippi · John Bell Williams Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170, built 1948 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N4027V · registry record · serial 18346
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was giving two student pilots their first flight lesson. After 20 minutes of taxi instruction, they departed the airport and flew for 20 minutes. While returning to the airport on final approach, the flight instructor advanced the power because the airplane was low on the approach path and discovered the engine had lost all power. The airplane was beyond gliding distance to the runway so the flight instructor made a 20 degree right turn and landed on a road located a quarter of a mile short of, and just to the right of, the extended runway center line. The flight instructor had to cross a high fence to make the road. The airplane cleared the fence but subsequently stalled about 10 to 15 feet above the road. The pilot made a hard landing on the road but, the road curved to the right and he was unable to keep the airplane on the centerline. The airplane then went off the left side, struck a log, and the left wing tip made contact with a fence post. It then ground looped and came to rest. Examination of the airplane revealed the left wing was substantially damaged, a large quantity of water was present in the right wing tank, and the fuel separator was full of water. Further examination revealed the right wing tank recessed type fuel cap seal had been leaking, and the airplane had been outside for several days in the rain. During preflight, the flight instructor drained all the sumps but did not notice the clear "fluid" that he drained from the right wing tank sump was all water. This was his first flight in the airplane and the preflight was conducted in light drizzle during a rain shower. The flight instructor advised that he did not remove or examine the fuel caps during the preflight as he did not want the water that had pooled in the cap recesses to get into the tanks. He did notice that the "fluid" from the right wing was not the proper color but attributed this to automobile gasoline that had been used in the airplane previously, as it had the odor of automobile gasoline.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Fuel contamination during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,670 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 123 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 10,511 as pilot in command; 4,883 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 30, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 1 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,906.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 8, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C-145-2 (piston); 3,907 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JVW Raymond MS at 5:25 pm
- Destination: JVW Raymond MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 5,499 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 82°F (28°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from JVW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on July 31, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements and Interview Summaries | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records – Kjvw Metars | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1 – Right Forward View | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2 – Right Wing Tip | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 3 – Left Wing Tip | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 4 – Left Wing Root | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 5 - Sample from Left Wing Tank | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo 6 - Sample from Right Wing Tank | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo 7 – Sample from Fuel Separator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.