19970826023719A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · West Palm Beach, FL · August 26, 1997

Date: August 26, 1997 · 00:30 local
Place: West Palm Beach, FL
Airport: Lorth Palm Beach County Gen Av
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6216Q
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL97LA125
Reported as: Cessna 152
Reported engine: Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,250 total250 in this make and model300 in the last 90 days

N6216QRegistration cancelled Apr 29, 2013 · Cessna 152S/N 15285198 · Built 1981 Airframe modelCessna 152 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

Engine quit on dual flight. Had landed at orl for fuel. None available. Countinued. Exhausted fuel enroute to F45. (-23) Cessna 152 departed fxe on instruction to pahokee then orlando. Stopped at orlando exec for fuel but fueling was closed so instructor/student proceeded to melborne and performed 1 touch and go then headed south to fxe. Approx. 10 miles north of pbi the aircraft engine started to sputter and had a power loss due to low fuel. The instructor contacted pbi tower and declared emergency for low fuel and was vectored to north county airport. Shortly after turning north to north county airport the instructor decided to land the aircraft on a dirt road due to a loss of power. After touching down on the road the left wing made contact with a mail box pole destroying @ 6 foot of that wing forcing the aircraft off the road tearing off the n/l/g, and putting the aircraft into a ditch and trees. Damage to acft is destroyed fwd of trailing edge wings.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE QUIT ON DUAL FLIGHT. HAD LANDED AT ORL FOR FUEL. NONE AVAILABLE. COUNTINUED. EXHAUSTED FUEL ENROUTE TO F45. (-23) CESSNA 152 DEPARTED FXE ON INSTRUCTION TO PAHOKEE THEN ORLANDO. STOPPED AT ORLANDO EXEC FOR FUEL BUT FUELING WAS CLOSED SO INSTRUCTOR/STUDENT PROCEEDED TO MELBORNE AND PERFORMED 1 TOUCH AND GO THEN HEADED SOUTH TO FXE. APPROX. 10 MILES NORTH OF PBI THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER AND HAD A POWER LOSS DUE TO LOW FUEL. THE INSTRUCTOR CONTACTED PBI TOWER AND DECLARED EMERGENCY FOR LOW FUEL AND WAS VECTORED TO NORTH COUNTY AIRPORT. SHORTLY AFTER TURNING NORTH TO NORTH COUNTY AIRPORT THE INSTRUCTOR DECIDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON A DIRT ROAD DUE TO A LOSS OF POWER. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN ON THE ROAD THE LEFT WING MADE CONTACT WITH A MAIL BOX POLE DESTROYING @ 6 FOOT OF THAT WING FORCING THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE ROAD TEARING OFF THE N/L/G, AND PUTTING THE AIRCRAFT INTO A DITCH AND TREES. DAMAGE TO ACFT IS DESTROYED FWD OF TRAILING EDGE WINGS.

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 ATL97LA125Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWest Palm Beach, FLthe flight instructor's (CFI's) inaccurate assessment of fuel available for the flight, and his improper in-flight planning/decision by continuing the training flight with minimal fuel, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power.Aug 26, 1997 · Substantial damage