# Accident 19990226039139A: Cessna 152, Sublett, KY, February 26, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 26, 1999, 19:45 local time
- Place: Sublett, KY
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.7401° N, 83.0595° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.7401&lon=-83.0595&mi=10
- Aircraft: N25856, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N25856-2001-03-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 152 (registry code 2071835, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 152
- Reported engine: LYC O235L2C
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 130 total, 40 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99LA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA067) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990226039139A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE PILOT CHECKED WEATHER, CALCULATED EN ROUTE TIMES, AND FUEL REQUIRED BEFORE DEPARTING. HE ACTIVATED HIS FLIGHT PLAN, REQUESTED AND RECEIVED RADAR TRAFFIC ADVISORIES, AND CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 7,500 FEET MSL.  ONCE OVER THE LONDON AIRPORT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS INDICATING EMPTY, AND THE LEFT TANK WAS INDICATING HALF.  DURING PREFLIGHT, THE PILOT CALCULATED THAT BOTH TANKS SHOULD BE INDICATING HALF, BUT HE CONTINUED THE FLIGHT FIGURING THE RIGHT GAUGE WAS FAULTY.  APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES PASSED LONDON, THE PILOT LOST RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC, AND BECAME DISORIENTATED.  IT WAS NIGHT, VISIBILITY WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES, AND BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT FUEL TANKS INDICATED EMPTY.  THE PILOT STARTED TO DOUBTED HIS INITIAL ASSESSMENT THAT THE RIGHT GAUGE WAS FAULTY, SO DECIDED TO MAKE AN OFF AIRPORT PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO A FIELD.  WHILE ON FINAL, AND APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED WIRES AND CRASHED.  THE PILOT HAD A 130 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.  FIVE GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK, AND 6 GALLONS IN THE RIGHT TANK WERE FOUND.  THE COMMUTATION RADIO, NAVIGATION RADIO, TRANSPONDER AND ALTERNATOR WERE TESTED AND FOUND TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.     (-23)'SEE ATTACHED' NO ATTACHED NARRATIVE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC99LA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA067), Feb 27, 1999: Cessna 152 (N25856), Sublett, KY, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's improper decision to continue the flight with a perceived excessive fuel consumption, and delaying his decision to execute a precautionary until night, which resulted in the airplane…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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