BOYNTON BEACH, FL, USA
N46129
Cessna 152
The pilot had flown about three hours, and was enroute to the initial departure airport. During the return flight, he encountered weather conditions that forced him to land and wait for conditions to improve. Approximately 30 minutes into this phase of the flight, the engine lost power. The engine regained power after the pilot employed restart procedures. Moments later, the engine quit again. The pilot selected a public road for an emergency landing area. The airplane collided with utility wires during the emergency descent. The pilot had flown approximately three hours and thirty-six minutes since the airplane was last refueled. The pilot initially reported that he departed with six hours of fuel, but later realized that the airplane only had a fuel capacity of 24 gallons usable. The average fuel consumption rate is approximately six gallons per hour. The pilot reported that he had flown the entire flight at an altitude of 2000 feet and 2300 rpm, with the mixture in the full rich position. During the examination of the airplane, no fuel was recovered from the undamaged fuel tank system.
On June 12, 1998, at 2306 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N46129, collided with utility lines, according to the pilot, during an attempted emergency landing in Boynton Beach, Florida. The personal flight, operated by the pilot, under the Provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. A review of weather data from the nearest reporting facility disclosed that, visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial airframe damage. The private rated pilot and his passenger sustained minor injuries. Both occupants, onboard the airplane, were Austrian citizens. According to the pilot, the flight originally departed Lantana, Florida, at 1850, and stopped in Venice, Florida. The pilot reported that after the initial departure from Lantana, he flew to Venice, Florida, and picked up a passenger. While enroute back to Lantana, the pilot elected to deviate south around thunderstorm activity. At one point the pilot landed at an uncontrolled airport, and waited until the weather conditions improved. After several minutes on the ground, the flight departed for Lantana. Approximately 30 minutes into this phase of the flight, the engine lost power. The engine regained power after the pilot employed restart procedures. Moments later, the engine quit again. The pilot selected a public road for an emergency landing area. The airplane collided with utility wires during the emergency descent. The enroute flight time to Venice was 1.9 hours. The pilot had flown approximately three hours and thirty-six minutes since the airplane was last refueled. The pilot initially reported that he departed with six hours of fuel, but later realized that the 152 only had a fuel capacity of 24 gallons usable. The average fuel consumption rate is approximately six gallons per hour. Reportedly, the pilot stated that the entire flight was flown at an altitude of 2000 feet, an engine speed of 2300 RPM, and with the mixture in the full rich position. During the examination of the airplane, no fuel was recovered from the undamaged fuel tank system. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane, and no mechanical problems were discovered during the post-accident examination of the airplane.
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning that resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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