Cessna 172L accident near Lewiston, Idaho, March 11, 2023
On March 11, 2023 at about 7:15 pm local time, a 1971 Cessna 172L, registered N7010Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Lewiston, Idaho. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s inadequate fuel planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 2023 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lewiston, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L, built 1971 · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N7010Q · registry record · serial 17260310
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, he planned to complete back-to-back flight lessons with two students. His students completed the preflight inspection and each tank measured about half full. The flight instructor verified that the fuel gauges indicated sufficient fuel for both lessons. During the second flight lesson with a student pilot at the controls, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and force-landed on a golf course. The airplane collided with trees during landing, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The flight instructor reported that the airplane ran out of fuel, and that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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
- Fuel exhaustion during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,560 hours in all; 950 in this make and model; 108 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 4,407 as pilot in command; 1,510 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 21, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 13 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,223 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 19, 2022; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycomming O-320-E20 (piston); 4,223 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLWS Lewiston ID at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 11:36 am from KLWS, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KLWS 111936Z 02007KT 10SM BKN049 OVC065 08/M01 A2995 RMK AO2 T00781006
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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 WPR23LA127.