Cessna 172N accident near San Antonio, Texas, June 29, 2000
On June 29, 2000 at about 4:44 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N4918G, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Antonio, Texas (San Antonio International 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
The flight instructor's failure to refuel the airplane, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Contributing factors were the flight instructor's fatigued condition and diverted attention.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2000 · about 4:44 am local time
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · San Antonio International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4918G · no longer on the register · serial 17273465
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a local instrument training flight, the flight instructor forgot to refuel the airplane. During the last practice instrument approach, the engine lost total power and the instructor landed the airplane in a residential area. During the landing, the airplane impacted a street sign. The flight instructor stated that he forgot to refuel the airplane because he was tired and distracted with his critique of the student's flying.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,810 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 280 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command; 1,400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,867 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 14, 2000; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAT at 2:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12R, 5,519 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from SAT, 3 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.
Other NTSB records under N4918G 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.