Cessna 172XP accident near Ramapo, New York, April 3, 1999
On April 3, 1999 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172XP, registered N2743V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ramapo, New York (Greenwood Lake Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations. A factor in the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the solo cross-country flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 1999 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ramapo, New York · Greenwood Lake Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172XP · all 172XPs on the register
- Registration
- N2743V · no longer on the register · serial R1722230
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In cruise flight, the student pilot noticed a decrease in fuel pressure. He moved the fuel selector from 'BOTH' to 'RIGHT', and the fuel pressure increased. Several minutes later, the fuel pressure began to decrease again. He moved the fuel selector from 'RIGHT' to 'LEFT', the engine lost all power, and he made an forced landing to a field. The airplane held 52 gallons of useable fuel. The student pilot calculated that he had flown about 4 hours, according to the tachometer, with the mixture leaned to acquire a 10 gallon-per-hour (GPH) fuel consumption rate. According to the his calculations, 90 minutes of fuel should have remained. His calculations did not account for the difference between tachometer time verses the Hobbs meter. He later stated that after reviewing his calculations, he also did not account for fuel consumption during the three takeoffs and climbs during the 4 hour period. Additionally, his certified flight instructor (CFI) stated that he knew the student pilot was planning to conduct a solo cross-country flight on the day of the accident, but did not review the preflight planning, nor did he endorse his student's logbook.
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: 61 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 29 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,018 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 11, 1998; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1B1 Columbia County NY at 8:10 pm
- Destination: 4N1 West Milford NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from CDW, 12 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.