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20000309043959A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Lake Charles, LA · March 9, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 9, 2000 · 20:13 local
Place
Lake Charles, LA
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N68333
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW00LA094
Reported as
Cessna 152
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
450 total178 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days
N68333Registration cancelled May 2, 2013 · Cessna 152S/N 15282264 · Built 1978Airframe 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) Subject pilot contacted Lake Charles approach end and asked for vectors first to chennault intl, then Lake Charles regional, then to nearest airport. At approximately 2013 local time the pilot told approach he was having engine problems. When the controller asked for number of people on board and fuel, the pilot responded two and about twenty minutes. Aircraft contact was lost. Pilot made forced landing approximately 5.5 miles bearing 320 degrees from the Lake Charles municipal airport. Investigation yielded the following: aircraft holds 26 gallons total, with usable quantity of 24.5 us gallons. After righting aircraft, no evidence of fuel leakage was found. Approximately 1.5 gallons were drained from the left tank and .05 gal (6.4 ounces) from the right tank. All fuel filters were clean and no obstruction to fuel flow could be found. In checking for ignition integrity, the engine fired briefly. No mechanical abnormalities readily evident. In my opinion the facts show fuel exhaustion.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) SUBJECT PILOT CONTACTED LAKE CHARLES APPROACH END AND ASKED FOR VECTORS FIRST TO CHENNAULT INTL, THEN LAKE CHARLES REGIONAL, THEN TO NEAREST AIRPORT. AT APPROXIMATELY 2013 LOCAL TIME THE PILOT TOLD APPROACH HE WAS HAVING ENGINE PROBLEMS. WHEN THE CONTROLLER ASKED FOR NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON BOARD AND FUEL, THE PILOT RESPONDED TWO AND ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES. AIRCRAFT CONTACT WAS LOST. PILOT MADE FORCED LANDING APPROXIMATELY 5.5 MILES BEARING 320 DEGREES FROM THE LAKE CHARLES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. INVESTIGATION YIELDED THE FOLLOWING: AIRCRAFT HOLDS 26 GALLONS TOTAL, WITH USABLE QUANTITY OF 24.5 US GALLONS. AFTER RIGHTING AIRCRAFT, NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE WAS FOUND. APPROXIMATELY 1.5 GALLONS WERE DRAINED FROM THE LEFT TANK AND .05 GAL (6.4 OUNCES) FROM THE RIGHT TANK. ALL FUEL FILTERS WERE CLEAN AND NO OBSTRUCTION TO FUEL FLOW COULD BE FOUND. IN CHECKING FOR IGNITION INTEGRITY, THE ENGINE FIRED BRIEFLY. NO MECHANICAL ABNORMALITIES READILY EVIDENT. IN MY OPINION THE FACTS SHOW FUEL EXHAUSTION.

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 FTW00LA094Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLake Charles, LAThe failure of the pilot to refuel the airplane which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Factors were the pilot's poor preflight planning, failure to lean the mixture in accordance with the POH, and lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Mar 10, 2000 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N68333 · 4

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

Incident 19821029066839ILevel Off Touchdown · Ft Worth, TXCrashed when aircraft was landed on the nose wheel.Oct 29, 1982 · Minor damageIncident 19810604036769ILevel Off Touchdown · Fort Worth, TXStudent solo bounced on landing another 3 point on second contact with nose wheel shimmy. Wheel and fork separated.Jun 4, 1981 · Minor damageAccident 19790605026279ALevel Off Touchdown · Kellerrth, TXMade slow final approach to lndg. Acft hit short of runway, bounced, nosewheel collapsed..Jun 5, 1979 · Substantial damageIncident 19790517027139IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Dallas, TXStudent had electrical failure at night. Landed dfw, taxied into grass and spent the night.May 17, 1979