Cessna 175B accident near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, December 31, 2004
On December 31, 2004 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 175B, registered N8141T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate pre-flight planning and in-flight planning decision, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2004 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lawrenceburg, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175B · all 175Bs on the register
- Registration
- N8141T · no longer on the register · serial 17556841
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot estimated that he departed with about 1.5 hours of fuel on board, and that the flight time to his destination airport would take about an hour. About 35 minutes after takeoff, the airplane was in cruise flight at 2,000 feet, with the fuel selector positioned to "both," when the engine began to lose power, and the pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a field. The engine completely quit about 500 feet above the ground. During the landing, the nose gear separated, the firewall buckled, and a portion of the fuselage was wrinkled. The airplane came to rest canted to the right. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. No fuel was present in the left fuel tank, and approximately 5 gallons of clean automotive gasoline was drained from the right fuel tank. In addition, there was no evidence of a fuel spill at the accident site. According to the airplane owner's manual, the fuel system included two 26 gallon aluminum fuel tanks, with a useable fuel amount of 21 gallons from each tank, "in all flight attitudes."
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,613 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 117 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 1,519 as pilot in command; 1,036 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,427 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2004; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-300D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BNA Nashville TN at 4:50 pm
- Destination: FFT Frankfort KY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from LEX, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.