Cessna 172S accident near Syracuse, Utah, August 2, 2011
On August 2, 2011 at about 3:05 am local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N235GW, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Syracuse, Utah. It was a personal 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
The failure of the maintenance technicians who installed the engine to properly tighten the fuel injection servo to a spider supply line, which caused a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2011 · about 3:05 am local time
- Place
- Syracuse, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N235GW · no longer on the register · serial 172S9235
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during cruise flight, the engine started running rough and began losing power. The pilot manipulated the throttle and mixture controls, but the engine continued losing power. All engine power was lost on approach during the forced landing to an alfalfa field, and the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. The engine had received a factory major overhaul and was installed in the airplane about 14 operational hours before the accident. Since installation, it had not received any maintenance. Postaccident examination of the engine found that the B-nut fitting on the fuel supply hose that goes from the fuel injection servo to the distribution spider was loose, which caused a fuel starvation-induced loss of engine power. No other mechanical malfunctions or failures were identified that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel distribution › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 560 hours in all; 510 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 510 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 26, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,153 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 27, 2011; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Leading Edge Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SLC Salt Lake City UT at 2:50 am
- Destination: OGD Ogden UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 315° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.