On June 28, 1987, a Cessna 172 (registration N79041) was involved in an aviation accident near Block Island, RI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to ensure the fuel selector was in the correct position, resulting in fuel starvation and loss of engine power. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot took off with the fuel selector in the OFF position, causing engine power loss and a crash into brush half a mile from the runway.
What happened
The pilot reported that during the takeoff phase, the aircraft's engine lost power. Subsequently, the aircraft crashed into an area of brush on level terrain, located approximately one-half mile off the departure end of the runway. The operator later reported that in a conversation with the pilot, the pilot indicated that he had taken off with the fuel selector in the 'OFF' position.
The investigation
The pilot did not file an accident report. No further mechanical examination details were provided in the source text.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the event was the fuel exhaustion caused by the fuel selector being set to the OFF position during takeoff.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to ensure the fuel selector was in the correct position, resulting in fuel starvation and loss of engine power.
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