What happened
On April 23, 2025, at approximately 1703 EDT, a Cessna 172RG, registration N6386V, was involved in an accident near Louisburg, North Carolina. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use.
Prior to departure, the pilot conducted a preflight inspection and discovered water during fuel sampling. The pilot continued sampling and rocking the wings until no further water was detected. At the time of the inspection, the wing tanks were approximately half full.
During the takeoff roll, the pilot applied full power and reached an airspeed of 55 knots before rotating. After climbing at 70 knots, the pilot moved the landing gear lever to the up position. The pilot reported that as soon as the landing pump activated, the engine experienced a smooth reduction in power to idle.
In an attempt to land on the remaining runway and runoff area, the pilot moved the landing gear to the down position and reduced the throttle. After determining a runway landing was not possible, the pilot attempted to glide over an airport perimeter fence. During this glide, the pilot applied full throttle, but the engine revved to 1,900 rpm before returning to idle without command. The aircraft's landing gear struck the perimeter fence, and the horizontal stabilizer struck a fence pole. The aircraft then impacted a road near the airport perimeter, sliding off the road into a field. The accident resulted in no injuries to the pilot or the passenger, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
The wreckage was retained for examination.