Cessna 152U accident near Rincon, Georgia, March 10, 1996
On March 10, 1996 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Cessna 152U, registered N68129, was destroyed in an accident near Rincon, Georgia (Savannah International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inaccurate fuel consumption calculations by the pilot, and an inadequate supply of fuel, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent nose over of the airplane, during a forced landing on uneven terrain with high vegetation (small trees).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1996 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Rincon, Georgia · Savannah International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152U · all 152Us on the register
- Registration
- N68129 · no longer on the register · serial 15282136
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At about the time the flight was cleared to land at the destination airport, the engine began to run roughly. The pilot selected a forced landing site. He said that the mixture was at full rich and carburetor heat had been applied, when the loss of engine power occurred. During the landing, the airplane collided with trees of small diameter. As the airplane rolled out, the nose wheel hit a mound of dirt, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot and passenger exited the airplane without injury. A postaccident investigation revealed that there was no fuel in the airplane fuel tanks and no fuel or fuel residue on the ground at the accident site. During a postaccident engine run, the engine was fully operational. The pilot reported his planned flight time en route to his destination to be three hours and seventeen minutes at 75% power setting. According to the Cessna 152 flight manual, the maximum endurance at 75% power (allowing for unusable fuel) was three hours and five minutes.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,824 hours in all; 6 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,748 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: THA Tullahoma TN at 3:30 pm
- Destination: SAV Savannah GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 23,000 ft; scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from SAV, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.