- Date
- May 8, 2002, 14:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Sacramento, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N67975Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20020508010699A
- Case key
- 54660
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
Failure of the pilot to ensure the seat was set properly prior to engine start, and not using the parking brake when adjustment of seat was necessary, which resulted in the inadvertent deactivation of the brakes and subsequent collision with the fuel trucks.
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 airplane collided with two parked fuel trucks while taxiing for takeoff. The pilot stated that she started the airplane after fueling it and was holding the brakes. She felt like she needed to move her seat forward slightly and grabbed the dash with one hand while releasing the seat lock with the other. The seat then slid all the way back on the tracks and her feet were now off the pedals. The airplane began to move forward and she could not reach the pedals and her passenger, who had no prior flight experience, tried to push on the bottoms of the pedals instead of the tops to activate the brakes. Before the pilot could take further remedial actions, the airplane taxied into two parked fuel trucks.
Factual narrative
On May 8, 2002, about 1415 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N67975, collided with two parked fuel trucks while taxiing for takeoff at the Sacramento Executive Airport, Sacramento, California. Executive Flyers, Inc., was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and rented by the pilot. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area personal flight and no flight plan had been filed.
In a written statement given by the pilot, she stated that she started the airplane after fueling it and was holding the brakes. She felt like she needed to move her seat forward slightly and grabbed the dash with one hand while releasing the seat lock with the other. The seat then slid all the way back on the tracks and her feet were now off the pedals. The airplane began to move forward and she could not reach the pedals and her passenger, who had no prior flight experience, tried to push on the bottoms of the pedals instead of the tops to activate the brakes. Before the pilot could take further remedial actions, the airplane taxied into two parked fuel trucks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67975
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- L-12810-15
- Airframe hours
- 9,888
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Executive Flyers, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 5, 2002 · 78 hours before
- Departed
- KSAC · Sacramento, CA
- Destination
- Sacramento, CA
- Airport
- KSAC · Sacramento Executive
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
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 25, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 85 total · 85 in this make and model · 12 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KSAC
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 29, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 458 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.