Cessna 172 accident near Greenville, South Carolina, November 2, 2022
On November 2, 2022 at about 4:52 pm local time, a 1982 Cessna 172, registered N65615, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Greenville, South Carolina (Greenville Downtown airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing was the pilot’s failure to use the checklist aboard the airplane during her attempts to restore engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 2022 · about 4:52 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, South Carolina · Greenville Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 P, built 1982 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N65615 · no longer on the register · serial 17275786
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed for the visual flight rules cross-country flight with about 12 gallons of fuel in each fuel tank for the planned 1 hour and 40-minute flight. She reported that while enroute the fuel gauges were reading “low” and were fluctuating. Closer to the destination, the fuel gauges indicated that more fuel was present in the right fuel tank, so the pilot moved the fuel selector from the “both” position to the “right” position. About 1.5 hours into the flight, while flying at an altitude of about 2,000 feet above ground level and while being provided with radar vectors to the airport traffic pattern at the destination airport, the engine “started sputtering and got quiet.” The pilot attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful, and she subsequently performed a forced landing in a field. The impact with the ground resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. Post-accident examination of the airplane found that the intact right-wing fuel tank was empty, that the intact left-wing fuel tank had about 6 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel remaining, and that the fuel selector was in the right tank position. During a postaccident interview the pilot stated that when the engine lost power she did not use a checklist in her attempt to restart the engine. Review of the power loss in flight checklist found aboard the airplane revealed that the sixth item stated “fuel selector – check/switch/both.” Based on all available information, it is likely that after the pilot selected the right fuel tank earlier in the flight, its fuel supply was eventually exhausted and the engine lost power. It is also likely that, had the pilot used the checklist and selected the “both” position on the fuel selector, the fuel remaining in the left fuel tank could have restored engine power before the forced landing.
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 starvation during approach defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 181.9 hours in all; 148 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 15.9 in the last 30 days; 111.7 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 17, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 2, 2022; 1.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DYB Summerville SC at 11:20 am
- Destination: GMU Greenville SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,800 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from GMU, 4 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KGMU 021653Z 03008KT 10SM FEW048 SCT075 BKN100 18/11 A3030 RMK AO2 SLP257 T01780106=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on February 8, 2023. 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record A�� Passenger Interveiw | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Fuel Records Kdyb | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Checklist Found Aboard N65615 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Memorandum for Record A�� Post-accident Examination Fuel Quantity | 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.
Other NTSB records under N65615 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.