FTW87LA136

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 152 · Brownwood, TX · June 8, 1987

Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal report

Date: June 7, 1987, 19:30 local (Jun 8, 1987, 00:30 UTC)
Place: Brownwood, TX
Injuries: 2 minor
Damage: Substantial damage
Phase of flight: Enroute
Aircraft: N49384Cessna 152
Weather: Visual (VMC) · Day
Status: Completed · report May 2, 1988
Report: Approved by Office Director
FAA report: 19870607018929A
Case key: 22376

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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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.

Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanicalCruise - normal

Fluid,fuel - exhaustionCause

Fuel consumption calculations - disregardedPilot in commandCause

Refueling - not performedPilot in commandCause

Judgment - poorPilot in commandCause

Forced landingDescent - emergency

In flight collision with objectLanding

Object - tree(s)Factor

Flight control,elevator - jammedFactor

In flight collision with terrain/waterLanding

Landing gear,nose gear - buckledFactor

Analysis

The engine failed during cruise flight due to fuel exhaustion. During the forced landing to a pasture the right horizontal stabilizer hit a tree and a limb became jammed between the stabilizer and the elevator jamming it in the full nose down position. The nose gear collapsed at touch down and the aircraft nosed over to the inverted position.

Aircraft

Registration: N49384
Reported as: Cessna 152
Category: Airplane
Serial number: 15281227
Airframe hours: 2,132
Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage: Substantial damage
Flight: Personal · Part 91
Registered owner: Cothron Aviaiton
Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal

N49384Registration cancelled Mar 8, 1989 · Cessna 152S/N 15281227 Airframe modelCessna 152

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: 44
Certificate: Private
Airplane ratings: Single-engine land
Medical: Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat: Left
Flight hours: 743 total · 97 in this make and model · 629 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions: Visual (VMC) · Day
Visibility: 7 statute miles
Lowest ceiling: None
Temperature: 81 °F

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19870607018929ACessna 152 · Brownwood, TXThe aircraft lost power due to fuel exhaustion. During the landing, a tree was hit which jammed the elevator down.Jun 7, 1987 · N49384 · Substantial damage