Cessna 172G accident near Vancouver, Washington, October 23, 1998
On October 23, 1998, a Cessna 172G, registered N3765L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vancouver, Washington. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Refueling was not preformed which subsequently led to fuel exhaustion. Factors include the student pilot's inadequate preflight planing/preparation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 1998
- Place
- Vancouver, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172G · all 172Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3765L · registry record · serial 17253934
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft lost engine power while inbound for landing after a cross-country flight. A forced landing was made on a grass field. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a fence. Inspection of the aircraft revealed it had less than 1/2 gallons of fuel in the left tank and no fuel could be drained from the right tank. The aircraft was recovered and 5 gallons of fuel was added to each tank. The engine was started and a run-up was successfully performed. No evidence of engine malfunction or an in flight fuel leak could be found. The pilot reported that she calculated a total trip time of 2 hours and 35 minutes. Information furnished with the pilot's report indicated that the Hobbs meter accumulated 3 hours 6 minutes for the flight. No fuel was added during the course of the cross-country.
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: 46 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 12 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,790 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 13, 1998; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1S4 Scappoose OR at 11:40 pm
- Destination: 59S Vancouver WA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from PDX, 7 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.