- Date
- August 23, 2008, 10:34 local (14:34 UTC)
- Place
- Ormond Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N65436Cessna 152
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel contamination
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080823855529A
- Case key
- 68773
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
Both pilots' inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel.
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
The flight instructor and student pilot of the Cessna 152 found water in the fuel tanks during the preflight inspection. Large amounts of fuel had to be sumped to ensure all the water was removed. Their 1-hour instructional flight was uneventful. They returned to the departing airport, landed and took a short break from flying. They then returned to the airplane to continue the instructional training of touch-and-go landings. The fuel system was not sumped before the second flight. During the initial climb after the first touch-and-go, the engine lost all power about 300 feet above the ground. The flight instructor took over control of the airplane and landed on a golf course fairway, striking trees before coming to a stop. Postcrash examination revealed 6 ounces of water in the gascolator and the right fuel tank cap had indication of leaking and infiltration.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor of the Cessna 152 stated to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that during the preflight inspection, he and the student pilot found water in the fuel tanks when sumped. They continued draining the fuel until no water was found in the fuel samples obtained from the wing tank and gascolator. Their 1-hour instructional flight was uneventful. They returned to the departing airport, landed and took a short break from flying. The instructor and student pilot returned to the airplane to continue training, and were going to stay in the traffic pattern of the airport. The fuel system was not sumped before the second flight. During the initial climb after the first touch-and-go, the engine lost all power about 300 feet above the ground. The flight instructor took over control of the airplane and elected to land on a golf course fairway adjacent to the airport. The airplane touched down on the fairway, striking trees before coming to a stop. During the on-scene examination of the wreckage by FAA inspectors, 6 ounces of water was removed from the gascolator. The right fuel tank cap had stains consistent with leaking and possible infiltration into the fuel tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65436
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15281551
- Airframe hours
- 10,508
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Ormond Beach Aviation Inc.
- Registered owner
- Ormond Beach Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 8, 2008 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- OMN · Ormond Beach, FL
- Destination
- OMN · Ormond Beach, FL
- Airport
- OMN · Ormond Beach Municipal
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 3, 2007
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,737 total · 310 in this make and model · 1,662 as pilot in command · 240 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14 total · 14 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- OMN, 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 N65436 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.