Cessna 152 accident near Gainesville, Florida, October 29, 1999
On October 29, 1999 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757YQ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gainesville, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's in-flight decision that resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion after he became lost and disoriented. A factor was the two fences.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 1999 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Gainesville, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757YQ · no longer on the register · serial 15280113
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was conducting his first solo cross-country flight, and was en route to his first destination airport. While approaching the airport, he was unable to make contact with the tower and decided that he was lost. He attempted to return to the original departure airport, but continued to be disoriented. The airplane was low on fuel and the propeller began to lose normal revolution. He located a field on which to perform a precautionary landing. During landing rollout, the airplane collided with two barbwire fences. According to the aircraft performance data, the airplane consumes approximately 6 gallons of fuel per hour. The student pilot departed with approximately 26 gallons of fuel (24.5 gallons useable) and flew for approximately 3.5 hours. No mechanical problems with the airplane were reported by the pilot.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 36 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,281 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 18, 1999; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFB Sanford FL at 11:45 am
- Destination: MLB Melbourne FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from GNV, 44 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.