Cessna 207 accident near Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina, June 7, 2001
On June 7, 2001 at about 7:32 pm local time, a Cessna 207, registered N1670U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina (First Flight Airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation for undetermined reasons resulting in the forced landing and subsequent on-ground collision with a sand dune with a resulting nose over. A factor in the accident was the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2001 · about 7:32 pm local time
- Place
- Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina · First Flight Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207 · all 207s on the register
- Registration
- N1670U · registry record · serial 20700270
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The fuel tanks were fueled the night before the accident date and were confirmed to be full during a preflight the morning of the accident date. The airplane was then repositioned and flown on 10 sightseeing flights by a company pilot other than the accident pilot, all with the mixture full rich. The fuel quantity gauges indicated decreasing quantity of fuel during the flights and the gauges indicated more than 1/2, and less then 1/4 respectively sometime during the last flight. The accident pilot relieved the pilot who had flown the 10 sightseeing flights, at that time the airplane had been operated for 3.75 hours since fueling. The accident pilot reported he visually checked the fuel tanks though all the adult passengers stated he did not. The flight departed and at 200 feet msl, the pilot later stated that the engine quit when he reduced power to 25 inches manifold pressure. He maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing in a field, and touched down with full flaps at an indicated airspeed of 80 knots. The airplane touched down, the nose landing gear separated from the airplane, and the airplane then collided with a 6-8 feet high sand dune. The airplane came to rest inverted on top of the sand dune. Examination of the fuel lines at the fuel selector valve, at each reservoir fuel tank, and at the fuel control unit revealed no fuel. No fuel was found in the auxiliary fuel pump, engine driven fuel pump, or reservoir tanks. The fuel selector was found positioned to the right fuel tank which was calculated to contain 7 gallons of fuel; the unusable amount of fuel in the tank is 3.5 gallons. The engine was placed on a test stand, impact damaged components were replaced or repaired and the engine was started and found to operate normally, no discrepancies were noted. Testing of the fuel gauges revealed they were operative. Testing of the fuel transmitters revealed several discrepancies. The average fuel consumption over a 9-day period was 15.14 gallons per hour; the airplane had been operated for 3.79 hours since fueling at the time of the accident. The operator had a procedure in place that required the pilot to dip the tanks during preflight and the chief pilot to randomly dip the tanks during the day; the pilot did not dip the tank before the flight and the chief pilot did not randomly dip the tanks throughout the day. The dipstick used to dip the tanks was in fact a wooden paint stirrer with a "full" mark annotated. No graduate marks beneath the full mark was noted. The Service Manual indicates that the fuel quantity indicators and transmitters are required to be checked every 50 hours and also during a complete inspection of the airplane. The airplane was inspected last on May 11, 2001, using an approved checklist that consisted of the inspection chart found in the Service Manual. The airplane had accumulated 48 hours since the inspection at the time of the accident.
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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 806 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 562 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 20, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 21,039 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 11, 2001; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFFA Kill Devil Hill NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 7:24 pm from MQI, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1670U the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.