# Accident 20100818043039A: Cessna 152, Palmetto Bay, FL, August 18, 2010 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 18, 2010, 14:16 local time - Place: Palmetto Bay, FL - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: D4RS - Location: 25.6478° N, 80.4328° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=25.6478&lon=-80.4328&mi=10 - Aircraft: N24870, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N24870-2013-05-03) (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: LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 98 total, 98 in this make and model, 98 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA10CA433](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10CA433) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100818043039A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THIS INSPECTOR AND INSPECTOR HAZEL ARRIVED AT DEAN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHOOL AT APPROXIMATELY 1745 HOURS TO INTERVIEW THE PILOTS. THE PILOTS ON THE AIRCRAFT WERE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. WE INTERVIEWED BOTH PILOTS SEPARATELY AND HAVE CONCLUDED THE FOLLOWING RELATED TO THE INTERVIEWS:BOTH PILOTS LEFT TMB AT APPROXIMATELY 0600 HOURS ON WEDNESDAY AUGUST 18, 2010. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEY FUELED THE AIRCRAFT ON TUESDAY NIGHT TO HAVE THE AIRCRAFT READY FOR THE FLIGHT ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. AS PART OF THE PREFLIGHT THAT THEY DID ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE TANKS WERE STILL FULL. THEY PROCEED NORTHWEST TO PAHOKEE FL WHERE THEY LANDED AND THEN TOOK OFF AND PROCEED TO OKEECHOBEE ONTO IMMOKALEE AIRPORT WHERE THEY LANDED AND PLACED AIR IN THE NOSE TIE AND TOP OFF THE FUEL TANKS WITH 23 GALLONS OF FUEL. THEY THEN PROCEED TO MARCO ISLAND SOUTH TO MARATHON WHEN THEY THEN TURNED LEFT (NORTH) TO PROCEED BACK TO TMB. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS IN THE RIGHT SEAT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT THE FPL POWER PLANT RETENTION POND. INSPECTOR HAZEL ASKED BOTH PILOTS WHY THEY DID NOT LAND ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RETENTION POND. THIS AREA WAS AT LEAST A ONE ACRE PLUS OPEN GRASS FIELD WHICH PROVIDED NO OBSTRUCTIONS FOR THEM TO LAND. THEY STATED THAT PEOPLE WERE IN THE FIELD AT THAT TIME CUTTING THE GRASS AND THEY WERE AFRAID THAT THEY MIGHT IMPACT THEM WITH THE PLANE.THE FIRST INDICATION OF A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE WAS WHEN THEY WERE APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES JUST SOUTH OF SOUTH BEACH, MIAMI BEACH, FL WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND MISSING. THE ENGINE RPM INDICATOR WAS INDICATING ABOUT 400 RPM. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WORK THE RADIOS TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HE WAS IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH ATC UNTIL IMPACT. ATC WAS TRYING TO GET THEM BACK TO TMB BUT THE ENGINE WAS BEGINNING TO STALL OUT COMPLETELY. AT THAT TIME THEY NOTICED THE FPL COMPOUND THAT HAD AN OPEN FIELD TO LAND ON. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE OSCILLATING BACK AND FORTH AND THEN BOTH FUEL INDICATORS WOULD THEN INDICATE IN THE ½ FULL POSITIONS. FROM THE FIRST INDICATION OF ENGINE ROUGHNESS AND WHEN THE ENGINE FINALLY STOPPED, THEY ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 6 TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHEN THE ENGINE FINALLY STOPPED THE PROPELLER WAS STATIONARY. I ASKED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BASED ON WHAT HAD HAPPENED, WHAT WAS YOUR GUT FELLING ON WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE PROBLEM. HE HAD NO ANSWER. ON THURSDAY AUGUST 19, 2010, THIS INSPECTOR AND INSPECTOR HAZEL ARRIVED ON SCENE. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE RETENTION POND OVERNIGHT. WE PROCEEDED TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTED THE FOLLOWING:1-FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE ON POSITION.2-FLAPS WERE SELECTED TO 30. HOWEVER, FLAPS WERE FULLY RETRACTED.3-CONTROL SURFACES AILERONS, RUDDERS AND ELEVATORS HAD CONTINUITY WITH SLIGHT BINDING.4-FIREWALL HAD NO DAMAGES FROM IMPACT.5-RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE HAS DAMAGE INWARD APPROXIMATELY 24 INCHES IN LENGTH FROM WINGTIP.6-TOPSIDE OF RIGHT WING AT WING ROOT ATTACHING POINTS, SKIN IS BUCKLED UPWARDS.7-WE REMOVED THE FUEL TANK FILLER CAPS AND INSPECTED THE INSIDE OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS. WE OBSERVED ABOUT AN INCH OF CLEAR LIQUID IN EACH TANK. WE THEN BEGAN TO DRAIN THE FUEL FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL FILTER AT THE FIRE WALL AND FOUND ONLY WATER DRAINING AT THIS POINT. WE WAITED FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIR AND SEA CRASH RECOVERY TO ARRIVE ON SCENE, WHEN WE THEN DRAINED ALL THE LIQUID FROM EACH FUEL TANK. ONLY WATER WAS DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT TANK AND FOUR PINTS OF FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE LEFT TANK.8-WE WERE ABLE TO INTERVIEW ONE OF THE LAWN PERSONS THAT WERE CUTTING THE GRASS AT THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RETENTION POND. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE WENT OVER TO WHERE THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED WHERE HE FOUND THE TWO PILOTS AT THE SHORE LINE. THEY TOLD HIM THEY RAN OUT OF GAS. ## 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 ERA10CA433](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10CA433), Aug 18, 2010: Cessna 152 (N24870), Miami, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilots' inadequate fuel planning, resulting in the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. 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.