Cessna 152 N6135M accident near Madison, Georgia

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot reported that he visually checked the fuel tanks before conducting the personal flight and verified that they were full with a total of 26 gallons (24.5 usable) before the personal flight departed; fuel receipts corroborated that the airplane was refueled before the flight. The pilot stated that, shortly after he descended the airplane from 5,500 ft mean sea level (msl) and then leveled off at 3,500 ft msl, about 3.5 hours into the flight, the engine began running roughly and then lost power. The pilot's attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The pilot subsequently executed a forced landing to a road, and the airplane collided with a pole.

The Pilot's Operating Handbook stated that the airplane had about 3.1 hours of fuel endurance at cruise power. Responders to the accident site reported that there was no fuel in the fuel tanks. Further, after the accident, the pilot stated that the engine likely "ran out of gas." Therefore, the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's improper fuel planning.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA16LA091 for the full record.