Cessna 172N accident near Blaine Hill, Pennsylvania, April 18, 1992
On April 18, 1992 at about 7:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N172DG, was destroyed in an accident near Blaine Hill, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A LEAKING FUEL LINE WHICH RESULTED IN A POWER LOSS AND INFLIGHT FIRE. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROLLING TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 1992 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Blaine Hill, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N172DG · registry record · serial 17272124
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS AND AN INFLIGHT FIRE. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN AN AREA OF ROLLING HILLS AND THE AIRPLANE MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND ON AN UPSLOPE. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOLLOWING CARBURETOR REPLACEMENT. THE FUEL LINE BETWEEN THE FUEL STRAINER AND CARBURETOR WAS NOT FOUND DUE TO FIRE DAMAGE. THE FAA SAID THE FIRE WAS MORE INTENSE IN THE VICINITY OF THE CARBURETOR, HOWEVER, THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE FUEL LEAK WAS NOT DETERMINED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,185 hours in all; 352 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,059 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero Mech Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: AGC West Mifflin PA at 6:30 pm
- Destination: G08 Monongahela PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from AGC, 6 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 NYC92LA081.