Cessna 172E accident near Fitchburg, Massachusetts, July 22, 1997
On July 22, 1997 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172E, registered N3553S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fitchburg, Massachusetts (Fitchburg Muni 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
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 1997 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Fitchburg, Massachusetts · Fitchburg Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172E · all 172Es on the register
- Registration
- N3553S · no longer on the register · serial 17250753
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a preflight inspection and observed the fuel tanks were half empty. After an uneventful local flight, the pilot departed for another flight. During the initial climb after takeoff, about 75 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing, and the airplane came to rest left wing low. Examination of the wreckage revealed 7 gallons of uncontaminated automotive gasoline in the left fuel tank, and no fuel in the right tank. The fuel selector valve was found in the 'both' position, and the left fuel cap was found open. The pilot could not recall if he secured it properly during his preflight inspection. Additionally, the engine was test run satisfactorily using fuel that was drained from the airplane. The airplane's total fuel capacity was 39 gallons, of which 36 was usable. It was last refueled 8 months prior to the accident with 28.2 gallons of automotive gasoline. The airplane had been flown for 3/10 of an hour on a ferry flight for an annual inspection, 4 days prior to the accident, and had accumulated 1.38 hours since the annual inspection. According to the owner's manual, fuel consumption in cruise flight at 75% power at 2,500 feet was 8.5 gallons per hour.
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: 325 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,595 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 18, 1997; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FIT at 7:45 pm
- Destination: 3B3 Sterling MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,800 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:07 pm from ORH, 17 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.