Cessna 172D accident near Louisville, Kentucky, September 20, 1998
On September 20, 1998 at about 11:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172D, registered N2482U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Louisville, Kentucky (Bowman Field). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to perform a preflight inspection of the airplane before his first solo flight, and inadequate supervision by the certified flight instructor, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 1998 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · Bowman Field
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172D · all 172Ds on the register
- Registration
- N2482U · registry record · serial 17250082
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot preflighted the airplane and visually noted that the fuel tanks were about 1/4 to 3/8 full. He then departed with a certified flight instructor (CFI) for a 45 minute instructional flight. After the flight, the CFI authorized the SP to perform his first solo flight and they both exited the airplane to complete some paper work. The SP then went back to the airplane and departed while the instructor observed. The SP did not perform a preflight check of the airplane before the solo flight. During the initial climb, after the SP's first touch and go landing, the airplane's engine sputtered and lost power. The airplane touched back down onto the runway and ran off the end of the and impacted a fence. Examination of the wreckage revealed the fuel tank caps were in place and the fuel tanks were 'empty.' The airplane had flown for 5.1 hours since being topped off. According to the airplane's operating manual, the airplane's total fuel capacity was 42 gallons, of which 41 were usable. The CFI stated, the average fuel consumption for the airplane was 8 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: student
- Flight time: 25 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LOU at 11:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,312 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from LOU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 NYC98LA195.