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).
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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 October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2003 · about 2:10 am local time
- Place
- Middleton, Idaho · Hubler Field · 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 |
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 SEA03LA093.