Cessna 172 accident near Mount Vernon, Ohio, July 28, 2018
On July 28, 2018 at about 2:45 pm local time, a 2001 Cessna 172, registered N785SP, was destroyed in an accident during approach near Mount Vernon, Ohio (Knox County airport). 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
An in-flight fuel-fed fire from an unknown source for reasons that could not be determined due to the extensive fire damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2018 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Vernon, Ohio · Knox County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2001 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N785SP · no longer on the register · serial 172S8712
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, several minutes after takeoff for the personal flight, he maneuvered the airplane to enter the traffic pattern to practice touch-and-go landings. Shortly after, he noticed a fire near the rudder pedals. He expedited his approach, and the fire continued to grow while he landed the airplane. After landing, he safely egressed from the airplane; a few seconds later, the cockpit area was engulfed in flames. The airplane was destroyed. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed evidence of a fuel-fed fire that had emanated from the rear, lower center portion of the engine. Extensive thermal damage was in the area where the mechanical fuel pump is mounted to the oil cooler. The oil cooler's bottom hose connection was separated from the oil cooler, and the fuel pump's bottom portion was missing. Due to the fire damage, the exact initiation point and source of the fire could not be determined. There were no maintenance write-ups indicating a fuel leak or odors in the previous 20 flight hours.
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during approach defining event
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during landing
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during after landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VTA Newark OH at 2:25 pm
- Destination: ZZV Zanesville OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 5,498 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from 4I3
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 22, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Email (FAA Front Line Manager) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Email 2 (FAA Front Line Manager) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.