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20191017021979I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172 · Melbourne, FL · October 17, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 17, 2019 · 21:06 local
Place
Melbourne, FL
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N7233A
Reported as
Cessna 172
Reported engine
Continental C145 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N7233ARegistration cancelled Aug 1, 2025 · Cessna 172S/N 29333 · Built 1956Airframe modelCessna 172Engine modelContinental C145 seriesReciprocating

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.

On October 17, 2019 a student pilot with approx. 29 flight hours departed Melbourne airport (kmlb) at 1830 for his first cross country solo flight. He took off and headed to okeechobee (kobe) with no issues. The student pilot stated he planned for a night VFR flight with proper fuel plus 45 minutes. The student pilot headed north east toward kmlb for the return flight and became disoriented about half way on the return flight. He descended to about 1500', contacted kmlb tow but the tower was not able to locate his ident. The student pilot then contacted orlando approach and orlando approach stated " we think you are west of patrick afb, so the student pilot contacted palm beach and they said he was south of them and told him to fly north along the coast. The student pilot headed north but said he was still disoriented and did not recognized any land marks. The student pilot contacted Melbourne tow and they said fly north until we clear you for landing. Melbourne tower cleared the student pilot to land at 9L, but the aircraft engine started sputtering on approach, the student pilot pushed the throttle to full rich, carb heat on and informed the tower he was going to land on 9R- (which was closer) - because he wasn't able to make it to 9L. The student pilot started planning for a clear landing spot on a road outside (before) the airport when he realized he was out of fuel and was not going to make a runway landing. He informed the tower of his intention to land. The student pilot then made a safe landing onto old NASA blvd and rolled into a grass strip. There were no injuries or damage to the aircraft.

During the investigation, I took pictures of the student pilot logbooks and he only had three endorsements. 1 written test, 1 solo flight, 1 night flight, but the solo cross country endorsement entry was not completed when I reviewed the student logbooks on 10/18/2019. The instructor and the student stated they made the cross country trip together earlier in the day on 10/17/2019 (the date of the accident). The aircraft was within the annual inspection and met the requirement of 91.413 however the 91.411 certification was overdue. The prop book was not available at the time of inspection. There was no fuel in the fuel tanks. No mechanical system failures were found.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 17, 2019 A STUDENT PILOT WITH APPROX. 29 FLIGHT HOURS DEPARTED MELBOURNE AIRPORT (KMLB) AT 1830 FOR HIS FIRST CROSS COUNTRY SOLO FLIGHT. HE TOOK OFF AND HEADED TO OKEECHOBEE (KOBE) WITH NO ISSUES. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED HE PLANNED FOR A NIGHT VFR FLIGHT WITH PROPER FUEL PLUS 45 MINUTES. THE STUDENT PILOT HEADED NORTH EAST TOWARD KMLB FOR THE RETURN FLIGHT AND BECAME DISORIENTED ABOUT HALF WAY ON THE RETURN FLIGHT. HE DESCENDED TO ABOUT 1500', CONTACTED KMLB TOW BUT THE TOWER WAS NOT ABLE TO LOCATE HIS IDENT. THE STUDENT PILOT THEN CONTACTED ORLANDO APPROACH AND ORLANDO APPROACH STATED " WE THINK YOU ARE WEST OF PATRICK AFB, SO THE STUDENT PILOT CONTACTED PALM BEACH AND THEY SAID HE WAS SOUTH OF THEM AND TOLD HIM TO FLY NORTH ALONG THE COAST. THE STUDENT PILOT HEADED NORTH BUT SAID HE WAS STILL DISORIENTED AND DID NOT RECOGNIZED ANY LAND MARKS. THE STUDENT PILOT CONTACTED MELBOURNE TOW AND THEY SAID FLY NORTH UNTIL WE CLEAR YOU FOR LANDING. MELBOURNE TOWER CLEARED THE STUDENT PILOT TO LAND AT 9L, BUT THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE STARTED SPUTTERING ON APPROACH, THE STUDENT PILOT PUSHED THE THROTTLE TO FULL RICH, CARB HEAT ON AND INFORMED THE TOWER HE WAS GOING TO LAND ON 9R- (WHICH WAS CLOSER) - BECAUSE HE WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT TO 9L. THE STUDENT PILOT STARTED PLANNING FOR A CLEAR LANDING SPOT ON A ROAD OUTSIDE (BEFORE) THE AIRPORT WHEN HE REALIZED HE WAS OUT OF FUEL AND WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE A RUNWAY LANDING. HE INFORMED THE TOWER OF HIS INTENTION TO LAND. THE STUDENT PILOT THEN MADE A SAFE LANDING ONTO OLD NASA BLVD AND ROLLED INTO A GRASS STRIP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

DURING THE INVESTIGATION, I TOOK PICTURES OF THE STUDENT PILOT LOGBOOKS AND HE ONLY HAD THREE ENDORSEMENTS. 1 WRITTEN TEST, 1 SOLO FLIGHT, 1 NIGHT FLIGHT, BUT THE SOLO CROSS COUNTRY ENDORSEMENT ENTRY WAS NOT COMPLETED WHEN I REVIEWED THE STUDENT LOGBOOKS ON 10/18/2019. THE INSTRUCTOR AND THE STUDENT STATED THEY MADE THE CROSS COUNTRY TRIP TOGETHER EARLIER IN THE DAY ON 10/17/2019 (THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT). THE AIRCRAFT WAS WITHIN THE ANNUAL INSPECTION AND MET THE REQUIREMENT OF 91.413 HOWEVER THE 91.411 CERTIFICATION WAS OVERDUE. THE PROP BOOK WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION. THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS. NO MECHANICAL SYSTEM FAILURES WERE FOUND.