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| Date: | Saturday 27 January 2018 |
| Time: | 01:20 |
| Type: |  Cessna 172F Skyhawk |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N8559U |
| MSN: | 17252459 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1965 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4792 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental O-300-C |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Williamsport, IN -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Columbus-Rickenbacker International Airport, OH (LCK/KLCK) |
| Danville-Vermilion County Airport, IL (DNV/KDNV) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On January 27, 2018, about 0121 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172F, N8559U, collided with trees and impacted terrain near Williamsport, Indiana. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Kilo Aviation, LLC, Lacon, Illinois, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a ferry flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK), Columbus, Ohio, at 2130, and was destined for Vermilion Regional Airport (DNV), Danville, Illinois.
The commercial pilot was ferrying the newly-purchased airplane cross-country for the new owner. The first leg of the trip was completed without incident. After refueling the airplane, the pilot departed and proceeded toward the destination in night visual meteorological conditions. After about 3 hours, 51 minutes of flight, the airplane descended and impacted trees and terrain about 9 miles short of the destination. Examination of the wreckage revealed evidence of fuel exhaustion; both main fuel tanks were intact, no fuel was observed inside the tanks, and no fuel smell was noticed at the site. The lack of damage to the propeller blades was consistent with the engine not developing power at impact. According to the manufacturer's performance chart, with full main tanks, the airplane had an endurance of about 3.7 hours. Therefore, it is likely that the engine lost power as a result of fuel exhaustion.
Although toxicology testing was positive for opioids, the relative amounts of these opioids detected in urine suggest that the source may have been the ingestion of poppy seeds rather than pharmaceuticals.
Probable Cause: The pilot's mismanagement of fuel, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and descent and collision with trees.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96680
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Jun-2019 07:29 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
| 12-Mar-2025 15:33 | Captain Adam | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative, Photo, ] |
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