Cessna 172G accident near Sanford, Florida, May 18, 1995
On May 18, 1995 at about 2:54 pm local time, a Cessna 172G, registered N3722L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sanford, Florida. 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 failure to maintain airspeed during a forced landing resulting in an inadvertent stall and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was a total loss of engine power while descending due to fuel exhaustion, and the pilot's inaccurate fuel calculations for the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 1995 · about 2:54 pm local time
- Place
- Sanford, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172G · all 172Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3722L · no longer on the register · serial 17253891
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he experienced a total loss of engine power while descending. A forced landing was made to an open area. The airplane stalled and collided with the ground. Examination of the fuel system by recovery personnel revealed one gallon or less of fuel was present in the left and right fuel tank. No fuel was present in the gasculator. Review of the operators manual indicates there is 1.5 gallons of unusable fuel in the left and right fuel tank.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 405 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 360 as pilot in command; 55 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,308 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 12, 1995; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aviation Training Associates
The flight
- Departed from: BCT Boca Rotan FL at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from SFB, 3 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.