Cessna 172E accident near Lubbock, Texas, April 7, 2000
On April 7, 2000 at about 3:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172E, registered N5682T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lubbock, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's incorrect positioning of the fuel selector which resulted in fuel starvation. Factors were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the fuel system due to an inadequate checkout by a flight instructor, and 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
- April 7, 2000 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Lubbock, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172E · all 172Es on the register
- Registration
- N5682T · no longer on the register · serial 17251582
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a daytime IFR cross-country flight in visual meteorological conditions, the approach controller at the destination airport cleared the airplane for a straight-in-approach to the runway. Subsequently, the pilot reported a loss of engine power and a forced landing. During the landing roll in a field, the nose gear collapsed in the soft dirt, and the airplane nosed over to the inverted position. The pilot reported that each time he moved the fuel selector from the 'BOTH' to the 'LEFT' position, the engine lost power. An FAA inspector interviewed the pilot and reported that 'it appeared the pilot may not have moved the selector completely to the detent for the left fuel tank. Operation of the CE-172-E with the fuel selector between detents may cause reduced fuel flow or completely stop fuel flow to the engine.' According to the inspector, during a ground/flight checkout in the airplane two days before the accident, the flight instructor 'did not cover the operation of the fuel selector in great detail because [the pilot] held a commercial pilot license.' The inspector examined the airplane and found fuel in the aircraft fuel tanks and no mechanical discrepancies with the fuel selector valve.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 730 hours in all; 23 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,135 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 10, 1999; 91 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: F41 Ennis TX at 11:45 am
- Destination: LBB
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:29 pm from LBB, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.