Cessna 172E accident near Rupert, West Virginia, November 21, 2004
On November 21, 2004 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172E, registered N3750S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rupert, West Virginia. It was a business 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 delayed application of carburetor heat, which resulted in a rough running engine. A factor was the bulldozer on the logging road where the pilot performed a precautionary landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 2004 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rupert, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172E · all 172Es on the register
- Registration
- N3750S · no longer on the register · serial 17250950
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the air temperature was 35 degrees at 4,500 feet, and the cabin heat was turned on. About 10 to 20 minutes later, the airplane encountered light mist, and approximately 40-50 nautical miles later, with deteriorating weather, the pilot decided to turn around. Shortly thereafter, "the engine was not making full power and was missing. Carburetor ice was suspected with the high humidity and the low outside air temperature." The pilot applied carburetor heat for about 1 minute, but it had no effect. The engine continued to run roughly, and engine rpm decreased to approximately 2,000 to 2,100 rpm. The pilot reapplied carburetor heat, but there was no improvement in engine performance. The pilot felt that he could not safely transition higher terrain en route to his destination, so he decided to make a precautionary landing on a logging road. During the landing, the pilot noticed a bulldozer on the road. The pilot swerved the airplane off the road to avoid the bulldozer, and the left wing impacted a tree.
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: 473 hours in all; 185 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 389 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,479 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2004; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JNX Smithfield NC at 5:00 pm
- Destination: SXL Summersville WV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 7:42 pm from LWB, 20 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.