Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING AND INACCURATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS, RESULTING IN FUEL SUPPLY EXHAUSTION, LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND THE SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH TREES DURING A FORCED LANDING.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On Saturday, May 29, 1994, at 2015 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N68186, registered to Lanes Valley Forge Aviation, Inc., and piloted by Edward Bogdanow, sustained substantial damage, during a forced landing in Spring City, Pennsylvania. The pilot was not injured, and the passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot was completing a flight from Cumberland, Maryland, destined for the Perkiomen Valley Airport, Collegeville, Pennsylvania. He stated that he was in cruise flight, when the engine suddenly quit. There had been no problems prior to this event. He attempted to restart the engine, while he was preparing for a forced landing. He located a field and attempted to land in it, but according to his statement, "I was too high on final for...the field," and the airplane collided with trees. Prior to the impact, the engine restarted momentarily and then quit again.
Jesse Kern, Aviation Safety Inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration, examined the wreckage and determined that the fuel tanks were not ruptured and were empty. Inspector Thomas J. Kerr stated on FAA Form 8020-16, "Fuel exhaustion - Pilot miscalculated flight time flown during a cross country flight."
FAA Airworthiness Inspector, Joseph Radosky, conducted an engine start and run-up. He stated, "Engine running rough because of bent propeller and the engine run [was] normal."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC94LA096