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September 5, 2015 · Cessna 152 NO Series · N6141Q

Miami, FL

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
September 5, 2015
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (2 uninjured)
Location
Miami, FL
Aircraft
Cessna 152 NO Series (1981)
Tail Number
N6141Q
Operator
Dean International
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
ERA15LA342

The private pilot reported that, before taking off to practice instrument approaches in the local traffic pattern, he checked the airplane's fuel status by looking at the cockpit quantity indicators and looking into the fuel tanks. After conducting three touch-and-go instrument landing system landings, the pilot was attempting a GPS landing. While established on radar vectors for an instrument approach and at 1,500 ft mean sea level, he observed engine "roughness," followed by a loss of power. He attempted a forced landing on a road; however, he subsequently chose to land in a muddy area within the boundary of a national park instead. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel system was undamaged, and there was no evidence of fuel leakage at the scene. The fuel tanks were drained, and 0.45 gallon of fuel was recovered from the left tank, and no fuel was found in the right tank. The operator reported that, at the time of the accident, the airplane had been flown for about 4.6 hours since its last refueling. The airplane had a usable fuel capacity of 24.5 gallons, and its fuel consumption rate in cruise flight was about 6.1 gallons per hour; therefore, the usable fuel would have been consumed during the accident flight.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's improper preflight fuel planning and in-flight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

Full Narrative

On September 5, 2015, about 1330 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N6141Q, force landed following a total loss of engine power during a practice instrument approach to Miami Executive Airport (TMB), Miami, Florida. The private pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was operated by Dean International, Inc. under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated at TMB about 1110. The private pilot, who was seated in the left, cockpit seat, reported the following. He checked the aircraft fuel state by looking at the cockpit quantity indicators and by looking into the tanks. After completing the other preflight tasks, he entered the local pattern for practice instrument approaches. While established on radar vectors for a fourth approach, at 1,500 feet above mean sea level and on a westerly heading, he observed engine "roughness" followed by a loss of rpm. He attempted a forced landing on a road; however, he elected to land in a muddy area within the boundary of the Everglades National Park instead. After the airplane came to rest, the pilots secured the airplane and first responders arrived at the accident scene. An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. The wreckage was located within the confines of the Everglades National Park, in a grass area. No evidence of fuel or oil leaks was observed around the wreckage. Both wing fuel tanks were intact and unbreached. The fuselage and engine firewall sustained structural damage from impact forces. The nose wheel and propeller were broken off due to impact forces. The inspector returned the next day and drained the fuel tanks with the assistance of the operator's maintenance personnel. The right wing tank contained no fuel. The left wing tank was drained and its contents were placed in a 5-gallon container; it was later quantified at 0.45 gallon. Once the wreckage was recovered from the accident site, the inspector completed his examination of the engine and found no evidence of an anomaly or failure. The operator reported that the airplane was last refueled on September 4th, the day prior to the accident; it was then flown an additional 2.2 hours that day. The accrued time on the airplane during the accident flight was about 2.4 hours; therefore, a total of 4.6 hours accrued since the last refueling before the accident. The capacity of the airplane fuel tanks was 26 gallons, including 24.5 gallons of useable fuel. According to the performance chart for the Cessna 152 (cruise at 2,000 feet pressure altitude, 2,400 rpm, standard temperature, and 101 knots true airspeed) fuel consumption was about 6.1 gallons per hour.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time13:30 EDT
Nearest AirportMiami Executive (7nm W)
Runway09L
Runway Length5003 ft
Runway Width150 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 152 NO Series
Tail NumberN6141Q
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorDean International
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · O-235-L2C · Reciprocating · 118
Seats2

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (2 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured2
Total2
Crew 1Age 25 · First Class · None
Crew 2Age 21 · First Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind300° @ 5 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Altimeter29.96 inHg
Observation Time17:20
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data