Cessna 172P accident near Citronelle, Alabama, May 27, 2024
On May 27, 2024 at about 8:20 pm local time, a 1981 Cessna 172P, registered N658NV, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Citronelle, Alabama. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a fuel vent line that was clogged by an insect nest.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2024 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Citronelle, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P, built 1981 · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N658NV · registry record · serial 17275439
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner reported that the airplane had been idle for 25 years before he purchased it and had an annual inspection performed. The accident pilot, who was a friend of the owner, then performed a 45-minute local flight before departing on the accident flight to take the airplane from Mississippi to Florida. The pilot stated that, during cruise flight, the engine began to surge and run erratically before it lost all power. The pilot selected a field for a forced landing, but “lacked the energy for a proper flare,” and the airplane landed hard, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the cockpit and cabin area revealed that the copilot and rear seats were not installed. There was no carpeting nor interior trim panels installed, and unsecured insulation was exposed. One blanket of insulation hung free from the ceiling. Instruments and radios were labeled “Inop” across the instrument panel. A postaccident test run of the engine revealed no anomalies. The fuel tank vent tube located near the leading edge of the left wing was found obstructed by a compacted organic material consistent with mud dauber nesting. According to the manufacturer, a blocked fuel vent can result in fuel starvation, a loss of engine power, and complete engine stoppage.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, remote
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,250 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,322.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 19, 2024; 1.4 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: M11 Crystal Springs MS at 7:35 pm
- Destination: 2R4 Milton FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft; scat at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 3:13 pm from KMOB
Weather report (METAR): KMOB 272013Z 18012KT 10SM SCT023 BKN028 BKN039 31/24 A2992 RMK AO2 T03060244
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA24LA232.