Cessna 172 accident near England, Arkansas, March 7, 2018
On March 7, 2018 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1962 Cessna 172, registered N1889Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near England, 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
The pilot’s failure to detect water in the fuel system during the preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power during departure and a subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 2018 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- England, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 C, built 1962 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1889Y · no longer on the register · serial 17249489
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during the preflight, he and the pilot-rated passenger, who was not a flight instructor, inspected the fuel sumps on each wing and the engine, "pulling [a] sample on each." He added that, during departure from the airstrip, after they became airborne for about 9 seconds, the engine rpm dropped to idle. The propeller was still rotating, but the airplane's engine was not producing power. Subsequently, the airplane landed in a cotton field, the nose landing gear sheared off, and the airplane came to rest nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the tail and fuselage. The student pilot reported that the airplane had gone through a pre-purchase inspection the previous week, and the airplane had accrued little time since the annual, which was 7 months before the accident flight. He added that it seemed like the airplane was starved for fuel. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported finding substantial water in the gascolator.
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
What happened, in order
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Fuel contamination during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 50 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 48 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 957 hours in all; 107 in this make and model; 957 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 26, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 8, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300-D (piston); 4,888 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: England AR at 11:00 pm
- Destination: England AR
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from KSGT, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 16, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Pictures | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Email | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.