- Date
- November 20, 1990, 10:14 local (15:14 UTC)
- Place
- Homestead, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N80509Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901120051489A
- Case key
- 32738
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
The failure of the pilot to insure adequate fuel was present in the aircraft for the flight resulting in loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
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
Acft last fueled on 11-18-90 at hobbs time 1377.0. After accident hobbs read 1382.0. One gallon of fuel was found in undamaged right fuel tank. Left fuel tank had ruptured however no evidence of a large fuel spill was present. Fuel selector was found on both. Acft propeller had no significant rotational damage. Cessna acft performance records indicate five hours flown is at maximum endurance for acft. Plt was also found to not be wearing seat belt at impact. Plt also had restriction on plt license that did not allow operations at airports were he was required to speak english on the radio. The dept. Arpt was uncontrolled on departure however FAA tower opened 10 min. After departure which would require plt use of english on return to arpt. Plt also had not had biennial flt review since 1987.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80509
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17266628
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Yhm Florida, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- OPF · Opa Locka, FL
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 308 total · 10 in this make and model · 58 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TMB, 18 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.