OpenAirDocs.org

19991017035519A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Bayou La Batre, AL · October 17, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 17, 1999 · 17:40 local
Place
Bayou La Batre, AL
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6504L
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA00LA006
Reported as
Cessna 152
Reported engine
Lycoming O235*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
172 total11 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days
N6504LRegistration cancelled Sep 24, 2013 · Cessna 152S/N 15284424 · Built 1980Airframe modelCessna 152Engine 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.

(-23) On October 17, 1999 Cessna CE-152 N6504L piloted by Mr. Garcia crashed in a field near theodore, AL and sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated the engine was skipping and finally ceased to operate causing him to make an emergency landing. The aircraft contacted a tree during landing causing the aircraft to spin before impact. The aircraft impacted the ground nose first. The nose was bent upward approx. 30 degrees beginning aft of the firewall forward, both wings were bent and buckled, the aft fuselage twisted and both vertical and horizontal stabilzers damaged. The propeller blades did not bend nor curl on impact indicating engine rotation had ceased prior to impact. Ground impact caused the gasolator fuel line to break, allowing fuel spillage in the nose gear area. Approx. 15 min. After the aircraft crashed the fowl river volunteer fire department turned power off aircraft and closed the fuel valve. Later that evening mechanic dean linner of sky king aviation, inc., disconnected the battery. (.4) according to the pilot, substantiated by the operator's fue lling records, the pilot pumped 4.5 gallons of fuel into the rental airplane after it had flown 2.5 hours since refuelling. He then flew it for an additional 2.7 hours, including 3 takeoffs and 2 landings, before the engine sputtered and quit. Following a last minute correction to his emergency landing, he crashed into a pecan tree. Postcrash examination revealed no fuel was found in the fuel tanks or carburetor, and very little had leaked out of the gascolator, postcrash.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON OCTOBER 17, 1999 CESSNA CE-152 N6504L PILOTED BY MR. GARCIA CRASHED IN A FIELD NEAR THEODORE, AL AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE WAS SKIPPING AND FINALLY CEASED TO OPERATE CAUSING HIM TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED A TREE DURING LANDING CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SPIN BEFORE IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE FIRST. THE NOSE WAS BENT UPWARD APPROX. 30 DEGREES BEGINNING AFT OF THE FIREWALL FORWARD, BOTH WINGS WERE BENT AND BUCKLED, THE AFT FUSELAGE TWISTED AND BOTH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILZERS DAMAGED. THE PROPELLER BLADES DID NOT BEND NOR CURL ON IMPACT INDICATING ENGINE ROTATION HAD CEASED PRIOR TO IMPACT. GROUND IMPACT CAUSED THE GASOLATOR FUEL LINE TO BREAK, ALLOWING FUEL SPILLAGE IN THE NOSE GEAR AREA. APPROX. 15 MIN. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED THE FOWL RIVER VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT TURNED POWER OFF AIRCRAFT AND CLOSED THE FUEL VALVE. LATER THAT EVENING MECHANIC DEAN LINNER OF SKY KING AVIATION, INC., DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. (.4) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, SUBSTANTIATED BY THE OPERATOR'S FUE LLING RECORDS, THE PILOT PUMPED 4.5 GALLONS OF FUEL INTO THE RENTAL AIRPLANE AFTER IT HAD FLOWN 2.5 HOURS SINCE REFUELLING. HE THEN FLEW IT FOR AN ADDITIONAL 2.7 HOURS, INCLUDING 3 TAKEOFFS AND 2 LANDINGS, BEFORE THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND QUIT. FOLLOWING A LAST MINUTE CORRECTION TO HIS EMERGENCY LANDING, HE CRASHED INTO A PECAN TREE. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS OR CARBURETOR, AND VERY LITTLE HAD LEAKED OUT OF THE GASCOLATOR, POSTCRASH.

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 MIA00LA006Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBayou La Batre, ALThe pilot's improper preflight fuel planning and the his improper en route fuel consumption calculations resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.Oct 17, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N6504L · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19920515019809IGo Round (Aborted VFR) · Mobile, ALStudent stalled on attempt to make a go-around. Hard landing. Nose gear collpased.May 15, 1992 · Minor damage