Cessna 172N accident near Hot Springs, Arkansas, August 8, 1999
On August 8, 1999 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N737JP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1999 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hot Springs, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N737JP · no longer on the register · serial 17269455
- 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 the airplane was in cruise flight at 3,000 feet above ground level when he observed the fuel gauges indicating 'EMPTY.' The airplane was 3 miles from the airport when the engine 'sputtered' and lost power. During the ensuing forced landing to an open field, the airplane contacted a power line and came to rest nose down in the field. The pilot stated that the airplane 'ran out of fuel.' The examination of the airplane inspector revealed no fuel in either of the two wing fuel tanks, and no evidence of fuel spillage at the accident site.
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: 311 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 169 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,126 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1999; 30 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: 3M0 Lakeview AR at 7:00 pm
- Destination: HOT AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from HOT, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.