Cessna 172K accident near Jacksonville, Texas, February 18, 2003
On February 18, 2003 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172K, registered N678BC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Texas (Cherokee County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation for the flight which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. A contributing 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
- February 18, 2003 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Texas · Cherokee County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N678BC · registry record · serial 172-58201
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted and came to rest in a grove of trees approximately 1/4 mile short of the landing threshold of the runway. The 400-hour pilot reported to the FAA inspector that the engine "began sputtering and running rough while he was on final, until it finally stopped." The propeller did not exhibit signs of rotational damage, and post-recovery examination of the fuel tanks revealed no fuel was present in either tank. The airplane had been airborne for four hours since the time it departed on a 410-nautical miles cross-country flight. No refueling stops were made along the route of flight.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0R1 Atmore AL at 7:30 pm
- Destination: JSO Jacksonville TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 5,011 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from JSO, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.