- Date
- April 10, 1995, 00:30 local (05:30 UTC)
- Place
- Marlin, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N67570Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950410007219A
- Case key
- 19389
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
Fuel exhaustion engine power loss due to the pilot's failure to refuel. Factors were the lack of suitable terrain available for the forced landing and the dark night condition.
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 lost power and a forced landing was performed in dark night conditions to a soft muddy field. The pilot had departed on a night cross country from roanoke, TX to college station, TX and he encountered 'strong winds' en route. The pilot further reported that he 'strayed off course several times.' The airplane was found to have flown for 3.6 hours since takeoff. Both wing tanks were drained and a total of one gallon of fuel was recovered.
Factual narrative
On April 10, 1995, at 0030 CDT, a Cessna 152, N67570, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Marlin, Texas. The private pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was being operated on a personal flight by North Texas Areo, under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated in Roanoke, Texas, at 2130 CDT. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the dark night cross country flight and no flight plan was filed.
During a personal interview, conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot reported that during cruise at 4,000 feet MSL the flight "encountered strong winds" and that he "strayed off course several times." He further stated that he decided to divert and land at Waco, Texas. Subsequently a total loss of engine power occurred and a forced landing was made to freshly plowed muddy terrain. The airplane came to rest inverted.
The pilot had reported in his written statement that he had been airborne for approximately 3 hours. The FAA inspector had determined that the airplanes tachometer time elapsed was 3.6 hours. When the airplane was recovered from the field, both wing tanks were drained and a total of one gallon of fuel was recovered.
In the enclosed pilot report, under mechanical malfunction or failure, the pilot entered "NO."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67570
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15281919
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- North Texas Aero
- Registered owner
- Axel Mohr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 23, 1995
- Departed
- 52F · Roanoke, TX
- Destination
- CLL · College Station, TX
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, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 178 total · 103 in this make and model · 72 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 130° at 18 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N67570 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.