- Date
- April 13, 1995, 14:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1520YCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950413007949A
- Case key
- 37751
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 inadequate preflight planning by the pilot-in-command to assure that adequate fuel was on-board the airplane to complete the flight, which resulted in a loss of engine power, forced landing and the collision with a tree on touchdown.
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 pilot stated he did not assure that he had adequate fuel for the intended flight and the engine failed due to fuel exhaustion. During the forced landing the airplane collided with a tree on touchdown.
Factual narrative
On April 13, 1995, about 1445 eastern daylight time, N1520Y, a Cessna 172 crashed in a parking lot 3 miles east of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The airplane was registered to Thomas Scott and was operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries. The flight had originated from Marsh Harbor, Bahamas, about 1300 the same day.
The pilot stated that he encountered headwinds on the flight and the engine failed on final approach, due to fuel exhaustion. The wreckage of the airplane came to rest in a partially vacant parking lot. FAA personnel examined the airplane and the accident scene and reported no fuel in the fuel system and no fuel on the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1520Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 49220
- Airframe hours
- 1,300
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hubbard, Kenneth M.
- Registered owner
- Scott, Thomas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MYAM · Marsh Harbor, OF
- Destination
- KFXE · Ft Lauderdale, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 243 total · 39 in this make and model · 126 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FXE, 2 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.