Summary
On April 21, 2000, a Cessna 152 (N152SC) was involved in an incident near Fresno, CA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: Fuel exhaustion during cruise flight due to the student pilot becoming disoriented and lost.
On April 20, 2000, about 2000 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N152SC, operated by Flying Viking, Inc., Hayward, California, experienced a total loss of engine power while cruising over Fresno, California. The student pilot made a forced landing in a parking lot and collided with a trailer. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the solo instructional flight, which was performed under 14 CFR 91, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1645 from Hayward, California.
This incident is documented in NTSB report LAX00LA165. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N152SC.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
Fuel exhaustion during cruise flight due to the student pilot becoming disoriented and lost.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On April 20, 2000, about 2000 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N152SC, operated by Flying Viking, Inc., Hayward, California, experienced a total loss of engine power while cruising over Fresno, California. The student pilot made a forced landing in a parking lot and collided with a trailer. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the solo instructional flight, which was performed under 14 CFR 91, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1645 from Hayward, California.
The pilot indicated to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he departed from Hayward during the daylight and only possessed a "San Francisco VFR Terminal Area Chart." The pilot was authorized to only fly within a 25-mile radius of Hayward. Minutes after taking off, the pilot became disoriented and confused regarding his location and direction of flight. The pilot further indicated that he was evidently lost, and he flew about 117 miles east until his fuel was totally exhausted. During the flight he was unable to raise anyone on the aircraft's radio.
The pilot's certified flight instructor reported to the Safety Board investigator that he had authorized his student to perform a local area flight around Hayward. The student's total flying experience was about 28 hours, of which 4 hours were as pilot-in-command. The student was supposed to land after practicing for about 1 hour. Upon departure for the accident flight, the airplane had about 18 gallons of fuel in its tanks. The instructor said the student confused east for west and followed a roadway until arriving over the city of Fresno with empty fuel tanks.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX00LA165