Cessna 175 accident near Mooresville, North Carolina, July 15, 2001
On July 15, 2001 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N8861E, was destroyed in an accident near Mooresville, North Carolina (Lake Norman Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper fuel consumption calculations, inadequate preflight planning, and failure to refuel the airplane before takeoff, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, and a forced landing in trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2001 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mooresville, North Carolina · Lake Norman Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N8861E · no longer on the register · serial 56161
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot the engine was surging as the airplane started its takeoff roll. When the airplane became airborne the pilot reported he could not maintain altitude and elected to make a forced landing, coming to rest upside down in a tree about 40 feet above the ground. The pilot stated he was flying solo, landed at an airport, and on takeoff "...the engine didn't feel right on full throttle." He and a co-owner of the airplane tried to find the problem, but they could not. They then decided to fly to the airport where the accident eventually took place. They landed twice, and on the second takeoff the pilot stated "...the problem showed up, landing us in the trees." The fuel burn for this airplane was 10 to 10.5 gallons per hour in level flight. Each fuel tank held 26 gallons, for a total of 52 gallons, of which 9 gallons of fuel was unusable, or 43 gallon of usable fuel. The fuel tanks were topped off on June 28, 2001. The owner/student pilot did not log all the time since last refueling the airplane, but 3.98 hours were logged. At 10.5 gallon per hour, 41.79 gallons of fuel would have been used in 3.98 hours. Examination of the fuel system after the accident revealed that about 2 gallons of fuel was drained from the left tank, and no fuel was found in the right tank. The fuel that was drained was clean with no evidence of sediment or water. In addition, there was no evidence of fuel leaks found at the accident site, and no fuel odor was noted at the accident site. Examination of the propeller and engine revealed no discrepancies.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,931 hours in all; 34 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 30, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 21 hours in all; 21 in this make and model
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,755 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 15, 2001; 37.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 20750 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 14A Moresville NC at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,000 ft by 40 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 11:24 pm from SVH, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N8861E 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.