Cessna 172N accident near Georgetown, Arkansas, February 16, 1994
On February 16, 1994 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N737ZY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Georgetown, Arkansas. It was a personal 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
A CARBURETOR ICING INDUCED POWER LOSS DUE TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT IN CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO CARBURETOR ICING. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN ONTO WHICH A FORCED LANDING COULD BE EXECUTED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 1994 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Georgetown, Arkansas
- 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
- N737ZY · no longer on the register · serial 17269813
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER CIRCLING A TOWN SEVERAL TIMES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FIND A PRIVATE AIR STRIP, HE DECIDED TO FLY TO A NEARBY AIRPORT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND LOSING RPM. THE PILOT'S EFFORTS TO REGAIN POWER WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT SUSTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT. HE ELECTED TO EXECUTE A FORCED LANDING ON A GRAVEL ROAD. TOUCHDOWN WAS SUCCESSFUL; HOWEVER, AFTER A SHORT GROUND ROLL, THE PILOT LIFTED THE AIRPLANE OFF AGAIN TO AVOID HITTING A HIGH TREE STUMP. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN THE SECOND TIME THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE AND THE AIRPLANE YAWED INTO A DITCH. THE ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS INDICATED THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS ICING EXISTED AT CRUISE POWER FOR THE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS THAT WERE PRESENT. TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE 48 AND 35 DEGREES F, RESPECTIVELY.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 306 hours in all; 141 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 237 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,416 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 9, 1993; 112 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6M8 Marked Tree AR at 2:15 pm
- Destination: M07 Searcy AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from BVX, 25 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.