Cessna T207A accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, February 23, 2005
On February 23, 2005 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Cessna T207A, registered N207CC, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida (North County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate fuel management resulting in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and subsequent impact with an embankment during an emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 2005 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- West Palm Beach, Florida · North County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T207A · all T207As on the register
- Registration
- N207CC · registry record · serial 20700488
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that a remanufactured engine was installed and a post installation check flight was performed for about 15 minutes in the pattern. He landed and the maintenance facility did a post flight examination of the airplane for any discrepancies; none was observed. The pilot elected to conduct a local flight to break in the engine. The pilot did an engine run up, departure, and climb to 2500 feet, where he remained for a little over one hour. While descending to traffic pattern altitude, he reduced the throttle and the engine lost power. He then placed the throttle back to full power, turned on the electric fuel pump, checked the mixture was full rich, and attempted to restart the engine several times. The pilot then realized he would not make the runway and made an off airport landing, incurring substantial damage to the airplane. When the FAA inspector and the mechanics arrived at the scene they inspected the aircraft visually for fuel and found no fuel in the right tank and 11 gallons in the left. According to the pilot the fuel selector valve was on the right tank position at the time of engine failure. Examination of the fuel lines and fuel manifold revealed little fuel. The gascolator was about half full of fuel when removed. When fuel was drained from the right header tank very little fuel was observed. The engine was examined for a propeller strike and afterwards run on a test stand; no discrepancies were noted.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,791 hours in all; 1,029 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 1,589 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,848.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2005; 1.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F45 West Palm Beach FL at 7:20 pm
- Destination: F45
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 30,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PBI, 12 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.