Cessna R172E accident near Little, Oklahoma, April 15, 1983
On April 15, 1983 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna R172E, registered N70HP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Little, Oklahoma. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 1983 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Little, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172E · all R172Es on the register
- Registration
- N70HP · no longer on the register · serial R172-0240
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT HAD BEEN LANDED TWICE TO CHECK FOR LEAKING FLUID ON THE WINDSHIELD. WHEN THE FUEL PRESSURE WENT TO ZERO AND THEENGINE QUIT THE LEAK WAS CONFIRMED TO BE ACFT FUEL. DURING A FORCED LANDING THE ACFT STRUCK A FENCE AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION FOUND THE FUEL INJECTION LINE AT THE FLOW DIVIDER FOR THE NUMBER 5 CYLINDER TO BE BROKEN.
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: 4,591 hours in all; 138 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,090 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 12, 1983; 714 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-C-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: H45 Seminole OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.