Cessna 175 accident near Weirs Cave, Virginia, March 10, 1997
On March 10, 1997 at about 1:12 am local time, a Cessna 175, registered N9485B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Weirs Cave, Virginia (Shenandoah Valley 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, and inaccurate fuel calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. Darkness and high vegetation in the forced landing area were related factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1997 · about 1:12 am local time
- Place
- Weirs Cave, Virginia · Shenandoah Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N9485B · registry record · serial 55285
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After refueling the airplane with 43.1 gallons of fuel, the pilot departed at 1645, for the return cross-country flight. Twenty miles from his destination, the engine began running rough. The pilot applied carburetor heat, and the situation remedied itself. Shortly thereafter, at 2012, the engine stopped completely. The airplane impacted the terrain in a partially wooded field about 3 miles north of his destination. Minimum (residual) fuel was found during a post-accident examination of the airplane. A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector stated that there were no signs of fuel stains on the wreckage to indicate that fuel was leaking from the fuel tanks, or from elsewhere. The pilot stated that he had 52 gallons of fuel for flight planning purposes. The Cessna owner's manual indicates the total fuel capacity was 52 gallons, with 43 gallons usable. The cruise performance chart in the owner's manual indicated that at 5,000 feet altitude with a 72% power setting and the mixture rich, the engine would use 12.3 gallons of fuel per hour, with an endurance time of 3.5 hours.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 268 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 148 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Shenandoah Flt Svc INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MMU Morristown NJ at 9:45 pm
- Destination: SHD VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 190° at 9 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number IAD97LA053.