- Date
- March 16, 1990, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4590PCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900316004649A
- Case key
- 17903
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
The fuel exhaustion induced power loss.
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
The engine quit three hours after takeoff. The pilot said he restarted the engine but could not keep it running. The pilot selected rough terrain, with rolling hills, covered by brush, and made a forced landing. At touchdown, the nose gear was torn off, the plane nosed over and came to rest inverted. A postaccident investigation revealed that both fuel tanks contained only traces of fuel. The pilot originally planned to land on a dirt road. However, when he saw cows on the road he elected to land in the rough terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4590P
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284774
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aeromech
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
- Destination
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 62 total · 41 in this make and model · 21 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N4590P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.