# Accident 19990813012159A: Cessna 152, Buckeye, AZ, August 13, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 13, 1999, 19:14 local time - Place: Buckeye, AZ - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.3801° N, 112.5497° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3801&lon=-112.5497&mi=10 - Aircraft: N49100, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N49100-2012-12-07) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 152 (registry code 2071835, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 152 - Reported engine: LYC O235L2C - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA269](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA269) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990813012159A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (TTY) FORCED LANDING ON A DIRT ROAD AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. ENGINE FAILED. (.19) ON AUGUST 13, 1999, AT 1914 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 152, N49100, MADE A FORCED LANDING NEAR BUCKEYE, ARIZONA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED; HOWEVER, NEITHER THE PILOT NOR HIS PASSENGER WAS INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT BY GLENDALE AVIATION UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZONA, AT 1645 ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS INBOUND TO THE GLENDALE, ARIZONA AIRPORT WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MISS. IT RESUMED RUNNING A COUPLE OF TIME THEN QUIT. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A DIRT ROAD. THE PILOT TOLD INVESTIGATORS THAT HE HAD COMPUTED THE FUEL REQUIREMENT FOR THE FLIGHT BY USING THE FUEL CONSUMPTION CHART IN THE PILOT OPERATOR'S HANDBOOK. BASED ON HIS ESTIMATED FUEL CONSUMPTION OF 6.5 GALLONS PER HOUR, HE DETERMINED THAT HE HAD 3 HOURS 55 MINUTES OF FUEL AVAILABLE. AT THE TIME THE ENGINE QUIT, THE HOBBS METER SHOWED THAT 3 HOURS 20 MINUTES HAD ELAPSED. WHEN FURTHER ASKED ABOUT HIS PLANNING, HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD NOT CONSIDERED THE ADDITIONAL FUEL REQUIREMENTS FOR HIS INITIAL TAKEOFF AND CLIMB, NOR SEVEN OTHER LANDINGS AND TAKEOFFS THAT HE SUBSEQUENTLY MADE DURING THE FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT RETRIEVAL PERSONNEL RECOVERED LESS THAN 2 GALLONS OF FUEL FROM BOTH OF THE MAIN TANKS. (-23)THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2000 FEET INBOUND TO THE GLENDALE AIRPORT IN ARIZONA,WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE RPM FLUXUATED UP AND DOWN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. THE PILOT FORCED LANDED ON A DIRT ROAD OF BUCKEYE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, LEFT WING AND THE FUSELAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT ON IT'S NOSE. VISUAL METEOROLGICAL PREVAILED. (.4)WHILE INBOUND TO HIS DESTINATION, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MISS. IT RESUMED RUNNING A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT FINALLY STOPPED ALTOGETHER. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A DIRT ROAD, DAMAGING THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LAST SERVICED WITH 20.8 GALLONS OF AVIATION FUEL ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE PILOT COMPUTED THE FUEL REQUIREMENT FOR THE FLIGHT BY USING THE FUEL CONSUMPTION CHART IN THE PILOT OPERATOR'S HANDBOOK. AFTER A FLIGHT OF 0.2 HOURS ON THE DAY BEFORE, THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD 3 HOURS 55 MINUTES OF FUEL REMAINING (WITHOUT RESERVE) FOR HIS CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. AT THE TIME THE ENGINE QUIT, THE HOBBS METER SHOWED THAT A TOTAL OF 3 HOURS 36 MINUTES HAD ELAPSED. THE AVERAGE FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR THE FUEL LOAD WAS 6.8 GALLONS PER HOUR. THE FUEL CAPACITY OF THE AIRCRAFT IS 26 GALLONS WITH 1.5 GALLONS UNUSABLE. WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS PLANNING, HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HIS PLANNING ESTIMATE OF 6 GALLONS PER HOUR HAD NOT CONSIDERED THE ADDITIONAL FUEL REQUIREMENTS FOR HIS INITIAL TAKEOFF AND CLIMB, NOR THE SEVEN OTHER LANDINGS AND TAKEOFFS THAT HE SUBSEQUENTLY MADE SINCE HIS LAST REFUELING. ACCORDING TO THE POH PERFORMANCE CHARTS, START, TAXI, AND TAK OFF REQUIRES 0.8 GALLONS OF FUEL. A/C RETRIEVAL PERSONNEL RECOVERED LESS THAN 2 GALLONS OF FUEL FROM BOTH OF THE MAIN TANKS AND THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS FOUND TO BE INTACT. SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATORS SUCCESSFULLY STARTED AND RAN THE ENGINE AFTER THE ACCIDENT. ## 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 LAX99LA269](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA269), Aug 14, 1999: Cessna 152 (N49100), Buckeye, AZ, destroyed. Probable cause: fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations used in flight planning. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.