Cessna 172 accident near Mooresville, North Carolina, September 7, 2007
On September 7, 2007 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6729A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mooresville, North Carolina. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane by the pilot-in-command for his failure to remove all water contamination from the fuel system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2007 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mooresville, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6729A · registry record · serial 28829
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During preflight inspection of the airplane water was detected and drained from the left wing fuel tank; but no other water was noted in the fuel system. The flight departed and approximately 20 minutes into the flight, the engine experienced a loss of power. Application of carburetor heat momentarily restored engine power but the engine power decreased, and further attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful. The pilot then maneuvered for a forced landing on a golf course but due to golfers on the intended fairway, the pilot landed long. The nose landing gear fork fractured after contacting a curb and the left wing contacted the ground. Postaccident examination of the airframe revealed six ounces of water in the gascolator. The seals of the fuel filler caps were "cracked." There was no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure of the engine or its systems.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 3,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,087 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 14A Mooresville NC at 10:40 am
- Destination: 14A Mooresville NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 MIA07CA141.