Cessna 172B accident near Beaumont, Texas, November 1, 1999
On November 1, 1999 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172B, registered N7833X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beaumont, Texas (Beaumont Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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
Fuel exhaustion as a result of the flight instructor's failure to refuel the airplane. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 1, 1999 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Beaumont, Texas · Beaumont Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172B · all 172Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7833X · no longer on the register · serial 17248333
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane's engine lost power as a result of fuel exhaustion, and during the ensuing forced landing the airplane struck trees. According to the flight instructor, he visually confirmed that each fuel tank was 1/2 full before departing on a local training flight. He estimated that he had approximately 2 hours of flying time, based on the quantity of fuel in the tanks. The flight departed, flew approximately one hour, and returned to the airport. The student was executing touch-and-go landings, and on the fourth takeoff/climb, as the airplane turned crosswind, the engine began to 'sputter.' The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane and aligned it with runway 13. After the airplane had overflown 1/2 of the 3,601-foot runway, he advanced the throttle to see if the engine would respond. The engine responded, and he initiated a climb to set up for another landing. As the instructor turned the airplane back toward runway 31, the engine lost total power. The airplane came to rest 0.5 miles north of the approach end of runway 31. The FAA inspector, who examined the airplane, stated that both fuel tanks contained residual fuel only.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 445 hours in all; 146 in this make and model; 207 in the last 90 days; 98 in the last 30 days; 345 as pilot in command; 125 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,290 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 1999; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BMT at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,601 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; scat at 4,800 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:18 pm from BPT, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.