Cessna 170A accident near Davie, Florida, February 9, 2003
On February 9, 2003 at about 8:23 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N9701A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Davie, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper preflight planning and his inadequate in-flight planning decision which resulted in loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and collision with wires and a road during the subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 2003 · about 8:23 pm local time
- Place
- Davie, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N9701A · no longer on the register · serial 170-19162
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The passenger, the pilot's daughter, stated to a Florida Highway Patrol officer that she and her father, the pilot/owner of the accident airplane had departed from Airglades Airport, Clewiston, Florida after a morning of sky-diving. She stated to the officer that they were en route to North Perry Airport, Pembroke Pines, Florida when their airplane ran out of fuel. She further stated that the pilot tried to restart the engine, but was unable, and was making a forced landing onto Interstate 75, when he struck a set of power lines which cross the roadway. After impacting the wires the airplane pitched down and impacted the road, and as a result, the pilot received serious injuries, and she received minor injuries. The airplane incurred substantial damage. Examination of the acident airplane revealed that there was no fuel in the airplane's tanks, and no preaccident anomalies were found to exist wit the airplane its flight controls or its engine.
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
- Flight time: 800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 21S Clewiston FL at 7:15 pm
- Destination: HWO Pembroke Pines FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from FLL, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.