Cessna 175 accident near Middleton, Idaho, June 5, 2003
On June 5, 2003 at about 2:10 am local time, a Cessna 175, registered N7238M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Middleton, Idaho (Hubler Field). 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
The pilot's failure to follow the checklist which led to fuel starvation and subsequent loss of engine power. A contributing factor was the uneven terrain at the landing site.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2003 · about 2:10 am local time · cases in 2003
- Place
- Middleton, Idaho · Hubler Field · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7238M · registry record · serial 55538
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the Cessna 175 departed Caldwell, Idaho, with 52 gallons of fuel (43 gallons usable total or 4.5 gallons unusable fuel per tank) and flew 1 hour and 40 minutes to his destination, Echo, Oregon. He subsequently departed Echo and flew back to his origination airport arriving over the airstrip about 1 hour and 20 minutes later. During the return flight he selected the left tank to balance out the fuel load and left the fuel selector in that position. While overhead his destination the engine lost power, and having no time to troubleshoot the problem, and not wanting to risk crossing high trees in an attempt to reach the end of the runway, he executed a forced landing off airport. The aircraft rolled through uneven terrain incurring substantial damage. An FAA inspector examined the aircraft and found approximately one gallon of fuel in the left tank and approximately 14 gallons of fuel in the right. The first item on the Cessna 175 Owner's Manual "Before Landing" checklist was: Set fuel selector to "both tanks."
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,942 hours in all; 212 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 2,527 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 3, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,290 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 2002; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO-300A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OL02 Echo OR
- Destination: ID00 Caldwell ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 am from EUL, 3 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N7238M on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 175 Skylark 925 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental GO-300A 1 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Hubler Field · nearest airport
- West Buttercreek Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Idaho 1,535 since 1982 · 287 in the last ten years
- Idaho 4,199 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA03LA093.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.