Cessna 172H accident near Wentzville, Missouri, January 29, 1982
On January 29, 1982 at about 3:40 am local time, a Cessna 172H, registered N5333T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wentzville, Missouri (Wentzville 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 1982 · about 3:40 am local time
- Place
- Wentzville, Missouri · Wentzville
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172H · all 172Hs on the register
- Registration
- N5333T · registry record · serial 17256100
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM BOTH TANKS TO THE RIGHT TANK TO BALANCE THE FUEL. AFTER THE TANKS WERE BALANCED, HE FAILED TO SWITCH THE SELECTOR BACK TO BOTH. DURING A NIGHT, FINAL APPROACH AT HIS DESTINATION, THE ENGINE LOST POWER FROM FUEL STARVATION WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR STILL POSITIONED TO THE RIGHT TANK. HE DID NOT SWITCH TO THE LEFT TANK OR BOTH TANKS TO RESTART THE ENGINE. HE WAS AWARE OF POWER LINES NEAR THE RUNWAY AND FOCUSED HIS FULL ATTENTION TO FLYING THE AIRCRAFT AND LOCATING THE POWER LINES. HE SPOTTED THE POWER LINES ON HIS FLIGHT PATH AND MANEUVERED UNDER THEM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED WHEN IT LANDED IN A CONSTRUCTION AREA AND CONTINUED INTO A CORN FIELD. IT CAME TO REST ABOUT 400 FT FROM THE RUNWAY.
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: 179 hours in all; 107 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 135 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,938 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Kankakee IL
- Destination: Liberty MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,400 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:48 pm
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.