- Date
- July 28, 1996, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Castine, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N65530Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 23, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960728044519A
- Case key
- 39224
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 pilot's improper planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power, due to an inadequate supply of fuel. Factors relating to the accident were: false indication from the fuel quantity gauge, and soft terrain in the emergency landing area.
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 student pilot reported that when he departed, the fuel tanks were about half-full. After being airborne for about 40 minutes, the engine lost power. During a forced landing on soft terrain, the airplane nosed over and was substantially damaged. The student pilot reported that the fuel gauges read one-quarter full when the power loss occurred. Examination of the airplane revealed the fuel tanks were empty, and there was no evidence of a fuel spill or leakage. A test of the fuel gauges disclosed the gauges indicated empty when the tanks were empty.
Factual narrative
On July 28, 1996, about 1630 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N65530, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Castine, Maine. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The local solo training flight originated at Belfast, Maine and was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In the NTSB Accident Report, the pilot stated:
"...About 1550 local time I left Belfast, ME, for a short local solo training flight. The weather was clear and wind was light, out of the northwest. I checked fuel, both by fuel gauges and by visually looking in both tanks. It appeared to be about 1/2 full or approximately 12 gals. While over Castine and headed back toward Belfast, the engine stopped around 2000 or 2500 feet msl. I established best glide speed, picked a field, applied carbheat, mixture and rocked wings, there was momentary restart. I cycled primer and had another restart. I landed in a field, the hay was high and the field was very wet. The airplane nosed over...."
An FAA Airworthiness Inspector from the Portland Flight Standards District Office reported via telephone that his on-site examination of the airplane found that the fuel tanks were empty, and there was no evidence of a fuel spill on the ground, or evidence of fuel siphoning or leakage from the fuel tanks.
According to a written report from an FAA Airworthiness Inspector:
"...The student pilot stated that both fuel gauges read 1/4 full when fuel starvation was experienced...In summary the right fuel gauge tested slightly under 1/4 with 3.2 gallons capacity. The left fuel quantity gauge indicated considerably lower, with the same quantity of fuel...."
Additionally the testing revealed that both fuel gauges read empty when the tanks were empty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65530
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15281598
- Airframe hours
- 3,461
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Roger E. Johnson
- Registered owner
- Ronald E. Cramer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 15, 1995 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- BST · Belfast, ME
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 25 total · 25 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BGR, 26 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.