Cessna 172 accident near Lewiston, Idaho, November 8, 1994
On November 8, 1994, a Cessna 172, registered N1380F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lewiston, Idaho (Lewiston Municipal 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
FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REFUEL EN ROUTE. FACTORS INCLUDE THE EMBANKMENT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ON WHICH HE MADE HIS FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 1994
- Place
- Lewiston, Idaho · Lewiston Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1380F · no longer on the register · serial 17254875
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED WEATHER THAT KEPT HIM FROM CLIMBING TO HIS PLANNED CRUISE ALTITUDE. WHILE MANEUVERING AROUND THE WEATHER AT LOWER ALTITUDES FOR ABOUT TWO AND ONE-HALF HOURS, THE PILOT USED MORE FUEL THAN HE HAD PLANNED FOR, BUT ATTEMPTED TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT WITHOUT AN ADDITIONAL REFUELING STOP. THE AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF USABLE FUEL ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT.
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: 160 hours in all; 155 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 109 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 16, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EKO Elko NV at 8:32 pm
- Destination: LWS ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 1:02 am from LWS, 1 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.