Cessna 172D accident near Homer, Louisiana, March 4, 1999
On March 4, 1999 at about 10:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172D, registered N2645U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Homer, Louisiana (Homer Municipal airport). 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
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, as a result of fuel moving away from the fuel supply outlets. Factors were the low fuel level and the turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 1999 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Homer, Louisiana · Homer Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172D · all 172Ds on the register
- Registration
- N2645U · registry record · serial 17250245
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted terrain during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power while on final approach. The pilot stated that the airplane encountered 'light turbulence' during the final approach. The airplane was approximately 1,000 feet from the runway and 500 feet above ground level, when the pilot advanced the throttle, and the engine lost power. The airplane impacted pine trees and the ground and came to rest upright, 32 feet short of the approach end of the runway. Between 4 and 6 gallons of fuel were drained from each of the two wing fuel tanks. The engine was test run in the airframe, and it operated within normal parameters at all power settings. The pilot stated that he attributed the loss of engine power to 'unporting of fuel on final approach.' According to the airframe manufacturer, in certain flight maneuvers fuel may move away from the fuel tank outlets, resulting in a loss of power.
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: 651 hours in all; 651 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 651 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,271 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 26, 1998; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M02 Dickson TN at 5:15 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 12, 3,199 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from DTN, 37 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.