Cessna 152 accident near Opelousas, Louisiana, May 3, 2009
On May 3, 2009 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N4590K, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Opelousas, Louisiana (St Landry Parish 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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane prior to flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 2009 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Opelousas, Louisiana · St Landry Parish Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N4590K · no longer on the register · serial 15280319
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was 500 feet above ground level on approach to his destination airport when the single-engine airplane lost power. The pilot made a forced landing to a rain-soaked field approximately 8 miles north of the runway. On touchdown the nose gear sank into the muddy terrain and collapsed. According to the pilot the airplane had approximately 15 gallons of fuel on board upon departure. An on-scene inspection of the fuel tanks indicated 2 1/2 gallons in the left tank and 1 gallon in the right tank. The aircraft manual states 1 1/2 gallons of fuel is unusable in the tanks. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot and passenger were not injured.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent) defining event
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (descent)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,015 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 29, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,070 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 24, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: T & M Aviation, INC
The flight
- Departed from: M79 Rayville LA at 10:15 pm
- Destination: KOPL Opelousas LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,800 ft; clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KOPL, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.