20090504006739A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Opelousas, LA · May 4, 2009

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Date: May 4, 2009 · 18:20 local
Place: Opelousas, LA
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4590K
Reported as: Cessna 152
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,000 total50 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N4590KRegistration cancelled Sep 25, 2009 · Cessna 152S/N 15280319 Airframe modelCessna 152

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) At 500 AGL on a descent to the Opelousas, LA airport the engine surged and then lost power. The pilot made an forced landing into a rain soaked field approximately 8 miles north of the approach end to runway 18. Upon touch down in the rain soaked field the nose gear collapsed. Both persons on board exited the aircraft without any injuries reported. According to the pilot the aircraft had approximately 8 gallons of fuel aboard and did not refuel the aircraft at the point of departure. This is a increased horsepower engine and would operate for a little more than one hour on this amount of fuel. Upon arrival at the accident site both fuel tank drains were pulled and fuel drained into a clean container. The left fuel tank had approximately 2 1/2 gallons and the right tank had 1 gallon. This aircraft has a unusable fuel amount of 1 1/2 gallons total.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AT 500 AGL ON A DESCENT TO THE OPELOUSAS, LA AIRPORT THE ENGINE SURGED AND THEN LOST POWER. THE PILOT MADE AN FORCED LANDING INTO A RAIN SOAKED FIELD APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES NORTH OF THE APPROACH END TO RUNWAY 18. UPON TOUCH DOWN IN THE RAIN SOAKED FIELD THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. BOTH PERSONS ON BOARD EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT ANY INJURIES REPORTED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE AIRCRAFT HAD APPROXIMATELY 8 GALLONS OF FUEL ABOARD AND DID NOT REFUEL THE AIRCRAFT AT THE POINT OF DEPARTURE. THIS IS A INCREASED HORSEPOWER ENGINE AND WOULD OPERATE FOR A LITTLE MORE THAN ONE HOUR ON THIS AMOUNT OF FUEL. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE BOTH FUEL TANK DRAINS WERE PULLED AND FUEL DRAINED INTO A CLEAN CONTAINER. THE LEFT FUEL TANK HAD APPROXIMATELY 2 1/2 GALLONS AND THE RIGHT TANK HAD 1 GALLON. THIS AIRCRAFT HAS A UNUSABLE FUEL AMOUNT OF 1 1/2 GALLONS TOTAL.