19970825023709A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Mecca, CA · August 25, 1997

Date: August 25, 1997 · 16:00 local
Place: Mecca, CA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N152RJ
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX97LA305
Reported as: Cessna 152
Reported engine: Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 38 total28 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N152RJRegistration cancelled Dec 13, 1997 · Cessna 152S/N 15281572 Airframe modelCessna 152

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Student departed solo cross country without topping tanks. Engine quit near max fuel range. Short of fuel stop. (.4) the student pilot was on a solo cross-country flight from long beach to blythe, California. He was to have performed a touch-and-go landing at bermuda dunes and then proceed to blythe, where he was to refuel and return to long beach. He decided to stop at bermuda dunes for an estimated 30-minute rest stop. He reported that about 10 to 20 minutes into the flight to blythe, the engine quit. He said he was able to get a restart for about 5 minutes before it quit again. The student stated he visually checked the fuel prior to departure from long beach and it was down an inch in each tank. The student's flight instructor stated he did not visually check or see the aircraft being refueled. The aircraft was recovered, examined, and the engine successfully test run.

As the FAA filed it

STUDENT DEPARTED SOLO CROSS COUNTRY WITHOUT TOPPING TANKS. ENGINE QUIT NEAR MAX FUEL RANGE. SHORT OF FUEL STOP. (.4) THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM LONG BEACH TO BLYTHE, CALIFORNIA. HE WAS TO HAVE PERFORMED A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING AT BERMUDA DUNES AND THEN PROCEED TO BLYTHE, WHERE HE WAS TO REFUEL AND RETURN TO LONG BEACH. HE DECIDED TO STOP AT BERMUDA DUNES FOR AN ESTIMATED 30-MINUTE REST STOP. HE REPORTED THAT ABOUT 10 TO 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT TO BLYTHE, THE ENGINE QUIT. HE SAID HE WAS ABLE TO GET A RESTART FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES BEFORE IT QUIT AGAIN. THE STUDENT STATED HE VISUALLY CHECKED THE FUEL PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM LONG BEACH AND IT WAS DOWN AN INCH IN EACH TANK. THE STUDENT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED HE DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK OR SEE THE AIRCRAFT BEING REFUELED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED, EXAMINED, AND THE ENGINE SUCCESSFULLY TEST RUN.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX97LA305Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMecca, CAfuel exhaustion as a result of the student pilot's inadequate preflight and failure to refuel.Aug 25, 1997 · Substantial damage