Cessna 152 accident near Horseshoe Bay, Texas, December 29, 2018
On December 29, 2018 at about 2:15 am local time, a 1980 Cessna 152, registered N6202M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Horseshoe Bay, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight and in-flight fuel planning, which resulted in the total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2018 · about 2:15 am local time · cases in 2018
- Place
- Horseshoe Bay, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 No Series, built 1980 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6202M · no longer on the register · serial 15284638
- 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 conducting a personal, cross-country flight with one passenger onboard. The pilot reported that, about 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours into the flight, the engine started to lose power. The pilot contacted air traffic control for vectors to the nearest airport. The pilot then checked the gauges and applied carburetor heat. The engine initially responded; however, a few minutes later, the engine lost all power, and the pilot's additional attempts to restore power were unsuccessful. The pilot did not think that the airplane could reach the nearest airport, so he established a glide for an off-airport forced landing, during which the airplane impacted trees and terrain and sustained substantial damage. During recovery of the airplane wreckage, the fuel tanks were found intact and empty. Additionally, there was no evidence of fuel leakage on the ground. The pilot reported that the airplane ran out of fuel and that the accident could have been prevented by better calculation and review of distance, fuel, and time in flight.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 383 hours in all; 259 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 21, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,182.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSNL Shawnee OK at 10:55 pm
- Destination: KSKF San Antonio TX
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 030° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 am from KDZB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on March 7, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 21 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Recovery Crew | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Flight Aware Track (Excerpt) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N6202M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6202M: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 152 1,636 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES 6,132 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Shawnee Regional · departed from
- Kelly Field · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,986 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N6202M 2 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN19LA064.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.