What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Student observed fuel gage flux and low radio recxmt. No electrical defect. Though should land but used sandy field (-23) on June 26, 1997 a Cessna 152 N6099L piloted by a student pilot, MS. Charlotte jackson, of temple Texas made a precautionary landing at approximately 1545 CST in a freshly plowed, loose sandy field near Gorman, Texas. Ms. Jackson stated she believed she had an electrical problem due to fuel gauge fluctuation and weak radio signals in both the transmit and receive mode on her last leg flown from breckenridge to brownwood, Texas. At an altitude of between 2,000 and 1,500 feet AGL she began her search for a place to land the aircraft. She stated she searched for about 15 minutes and decided on the field in which she landed due to it's proximity to a rural road and by the fact that no bushes or trees were in the field. Upon touching down in the field the aircraft flipped over on it's bakc and was severely damaged. Ms. Jackson sustained only minor injuries. Ms. Jackson stated there was no problem with the operation of the engine, and on her approach to the field she used full flaps which are electrically operated. There was no proble m encountered with flap operation. Ms. Jackson had purchased 10.5 gallons of aviation fuel at the mineral wells, Texas airport and believed she had approximately 7 to 10 gallons on board prior to the fueling which meant the tanks were not completely full on departure. It is believed that Ms. Jackson, due to her limited experience observed fuel gauge fluctuation due to the fuel tanks being about half full of fuel and the gauges following electrical signals from the fuel transmitters attached to the floats in the fuel tanks. The fuel sloshing from side to side can cause the gauges to fluctuate. Also since she was at a relative low altitude in relation to the terrain she was over her radio signal capability could have been reduced due to the hills in the area between her and the station she was utilizing. Since there was no indication of an electrical problem on the voltmeter or ammeter, and the fact that the electric flaps operated normally privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
STUDENT OBSERVED FUEL GAGE FLUX AND LOW RADIO RECXMT. NO ELECTRICAL DEFECT. THOUGH SHOULD LAND BUT USED SANDY FIELD (-23) ON JUNE 26, 1997 A CESSNA 152 N6099L PILOTED BY A STUDENT PILOT, MS. CHARLOTTE JACKSON, OF TEMPLE TEXAS MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT APPROXIMATELY 1545 CST IN A FRESHLY PLOWED, LOOSE SANDY FIELD NEAR GORMAN, TEXAS. MS. JACKSON STATED SHE BELIEVED SHE HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM DUE TO FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATION AND WEAK RADIO SIGNALS IN BOTH THE TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE MODE ON HER LAST LEG FLOWN FROM BRECKENRIDGE TO BROWNWOOD, TEXAS. AT AN ALTITUDE OF BETWEEN 2,000 AND 1,500 FEET AGL SHE BEGAN HER SEARCH FOR A PLACE TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. SHE STATED SHE SEARCHED FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND DECIDED ON THE FIELD IN WHICH SHE LANDED DUE TO IT'S PROXIMITY TO A RURAL ROAD AND BY THE FACT THAT NO BUSHES OR TREES WERE IN THE FIELD. UPON TOUCHING DOWN IN THE FIELD THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON IT'S BAKC AND WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. MS. JACKSON SUSTAINED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. MS. JACKSON STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE OPERATION OF THE ENGINE, AND ON HER APPROACH TO THE FIELD SHE USED FULL FLAPS WHICH ARE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED. THERE WAS NO PROBLE M ENCOUNTERED WITH FLAP OPERATION. MS. JACKSON HAD PURCHASED 10.5 GALLONS OF AVIATION FUEL AT THE MINERAL WELLS, TEXAS AIRPORT AND BELIEVED SHE HAD APPROXIMATELY 7 TO 10 GALLONS ON BOARD PRIOR TO THE FUELING WHICH MEANT THE TANKS WERE NOT COMPLETELY FULL ON DEPARTURE. IT IS BELIEVED THAT MS. JACKSON, DUE TO HER LIMITED EXPERIENCE OBSERVED FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATION DUE TO THE FUEL TANKS BEING ABOUT HALF FULL OF FUEL AND THE GAUGES FOLLOWING ELECTRICAL SIGNALS FROM THE FUEL TRANSMITTERS ATTACHED TO THE FLOATS IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE FUEL SLOSHING FROM SIDE TO SIDE CAN CAUSE THE GAUGES TO FLUCTUATE. ALSO SINCE SHE WAS AT A RELATIVE LOW ALTITUDE IN RELATION TO THE TERRAIN SHE WAS OVER HER RADIO SIGNAL CAPABILITY COULD HAVE BEEN REDUCED DUE TO THE HILLS IN THE AREA BETWEEN HER AND THE STATION SHE WAS UTILIZING. SINCE THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM ON THE VOLTMETER OR AMMETER, AND THE FACT THAT THE ELECTRIC FLAPS OPERATED NORMALLY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6099L · 1
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