Cessna 172 accident near Kennett, Missouri, January 25, 1984
On January 25, 1984 at about 12:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N78FR, was destroyed in an accident near Kennett, Missouri (Kennett airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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 25, 1984 · about 12:20 pm local time
- Place
- Kennett, Missouri · Kennett · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N78FR · no longer on the register · serial RL-1332-76
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED IN IMC WEATHER AFTER THE ENGINE LOST POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PLT HAD RECEIVED A BRIEFING ON THE WEATHER PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED LESS THAN 2 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED ABOARD THE ACFT.
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: 98 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 95 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,254 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 1, 1983; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,330 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DAY Dayton OH at 7:20 am
- Destination: M14 Kennet MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 3,110 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 280° at 3 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from BYH, 14 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.