Cessna 172B accident near Charleston, West Virginia, December 16, 1996
On December 16, 1996 at about 6:42 pm local time, a Cessna 172B, registered N6937X, was destroyed in an accident near Charleston, West Virginia (Charleston Yeager airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper planning/decision by the pilot, and his mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing into wooded terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 1996 · about 6:42 pm local time
- Place
- Charleston, West Virginia · Charleston Yeager · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172B · all 172Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6937X · no longer on the register · serial 17247837
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made a forced landing into wooded terrain after the engine lost power. Examination of the airplane revealed the fuel tanks were empty. The pilot did not provide an account of the accident after several requests; however, a witness indicated the pilot stated shortly after the accident that he had misjudged the amount of fuel in the airplane.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,171 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 18, 1996; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4J6 St Maries GA
- Destination: 76G Green City MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:42 pm from CRW, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.