N6504L

On October 17, 1999, about 1740 central daylight time, a Cessna 152, N6504L, registered to Sky King Aviation, Inc., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed into a pecan grove following a loss of engine power after takeoff in the vicinity of Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight departed Bayou La Batre, Alabama, about 5 minutes before the accident.

According to the pilot, just after takeoff, his engine sputtered and acted as if it were running out of fuel. He set himself up for a forced landing in a field, but a house emerged into his vision at the last moment, and he tried to adjust his landing pattern in the opposite direction. His airspeed dissipated while trying to stretch his glide and he caught his left wing on a pecan tree. The pilot stated that prior to his origination from Foley, Alabama, earlier that day, his preflight walk-around inspection revealed the left fuel tank indicated 1/4 full, although a visual inspection of the fuel quantity showed just under full. To be safe, he topped off the left tank with 4 1/2 gallons. He stated the right tank was full. He further stated that he performed one touch and go landing at Foley before he headed westbound toward Bayou La Batre.

According to the fixed-base operator, (FBO) N6504L had just returned from a rental flight, and its renter pilot was settling up his charges when the accident pilot arrived to rent the same airplane. Instead of waiting for FBO personnel to refuel the airplane, the accident pilot volunteered to refuel it himself. FBO fueling records confirm that the pilot pumped 4.5 gallons into N6504L; however, those same records revealed that N6504L had flown a .7 hour trip, a 1.0 hour trip, and a .8 hour trip for a total of 2.5 hours since last refueling. According to the FBO, N6504L had full tanks, (26 gallons, 24.5 gallons usable) at the beginning of the rental day. The three previous flights involved only local, low altitude, predominately touch and go landings type operations, and they calculate minimum fuel flow for that type flying to be about 6 gallons per hour. The FBO is certain that no refueling took place, elsewhere.

Subsequent examination of the airplane by FAA personnel revealed that after initial impact with the tree, the airplane impacted the earth nose first and came to rest on its three landing gear. The wings, fuselage, and empennage received substantial damage. The wing fuel tanks had not been compromised by the crash, and were empty. There was an 18-inch diameter spot in the grass under the gascolator where some fuel had leaked. The propeller blades were not damaged. The wreckage was taken to a local FBO where a teardown examination of the fuel system was performed. The carburetor bowl contained no fuel, and the carburetor filter screen was clean. The fuel gascolator was clean and contained no fuel.

Using Hobbs meter times, fuel consumption figures, (confirmed by reference to Avco Lycoming Operator's Manual for the O-235 series engine, fuel flow vs percent rated power chart), and fueling gallonage figures provided by the FBO, the accident trip lasted 2.7 hours, including 3 takeoffs and 2 landings, and had about 14 gallons of fuel aboard at the origination of the flight.