- Date
- May 15, 1993, 17:05 local (21:05 UTC)
- Place
- Norfolk, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N68910Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930515013899A
- Case key
- 11946
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion due to an inadequate supply of fuel. A factor related to the accident was the unsuitable terrain.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
This was the student pilot's last long solo cross country towards attaining his private pilot certificate. According to the pilot, he had completed the preflight planning, and his instructor approved the route of flight. The instructor also advised the student that he should, 'top off the tanks.' The pilot reported that due to not having enough money to fill the tanks he added 5 gallons of fuel, which he considered was adequate for his return flight. The pilot stated that on his return flight, he made some additional landings en route that were not calculated previously. During cruise flight at about 2500 feet and 15 miles south of the airport, the engine lost power. The pilot stated that he tried to restart the engine, but he was unsuccessful. A forced landing was made in a marshy field and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the airplane revealed a total of about 1 pint of fuel in both tanks. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had added more fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N68910
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15282397
- Airframe hours
- 5,049
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Rick Aviation
- Registered owner
- Rick Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 1, 1993 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- ISO · Kinston, NC
- Destination
- PHF · Newport News, VA
- Flight plan
- VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 70 total · 70 in this make and model · 15 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORF, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N68910 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.