- Date
- January 24, 2009, 20:50 local (Jan 25, 2009, 01:50 UTC)
- Place
- Titusville, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N48570Cessna 152
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090124002749A
- Case key
- 73275
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
A loss of engine power during approach due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
Following a 4.2-hour cross-country flight, which included 11 touch-and-go landings, the pilot of the Cessna 152 was on final approach to land. About 400 feet above the ground the airplane's engine lost power and the airplane impacted trees short of the runway. The pilot reported that during the last circuit around the airport traffic pattern the fuel gauges showed that the right fuel tank was 1/4 full and the left fuel tank was less than 1/4 full. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane at the scene and noted no evidence of fuel spillage. After the airplane was recovered, approximately 3 to 4 total ounces of fuel were drained from all of the fuel drains. The airplane was serviced with 2 gallons of fuel and the engine was run at 1,200 rpm for 3 minutes with no anomalies noted.
Factual narrative
Following a 4.2 hour cross-country flight, which included 11 touch-and-go landings, the pilot of the Cessna 152 was on final approach to land. About 400 feet above the ground the airplane's engine "quit." The pilot was unable to reach the runway and the airplane impacted trees short of the runway. He reported that during the last circuit around the airport traffic pattern the fuel gauges showed that the right fuel tank was 1/4 full and the left fuel tank was less than 1/4 full. A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector examined the airplane at the scene and noted no evidence of fuel spillage. After the airplane was recovered, approximately 3 to 4 total ounces of fuel were drained from all of the fuel drains. The airplane was serviced with 2 gallons of fuel and the engine was run at 1,200 rpm for 3 minutes with no anomalies noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48570
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280918
- Airframe hours
- 14,720.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 SERIES, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Famco Aviation, Inc
- Registered owner
- Debenair Aviation Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 5, 2008
- Departed
- TIX · Titusville, FL
- Destination
- TIX · Titusville, FL
- Airport
- TIX · Space Coast Regional Airport, runway 18, 7,319 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 19, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 550 total · 36 in this make and model · 386 as pilot in command · 95 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- TIX, 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 N48570 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.