Cessna 152 accident near Sedalia, Missouri, November 18, 2001
On November 18, 2001 at about 9:10 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N48285, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sedalia, Missouri. 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
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the soft, rough/uneven terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2001 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Sedalia, Missouri · 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
- N48285 · no longer on the register · serial 15283319
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that approximately four miles from the airport the engine "slowed and then stopped." The pilot reported that he established best glide speed and made a forced landing to an agricultural field. The pilot stated that the agricultural field was "freshly plowed and muddy." A post-accident inspection of the airplane revealed there was no usable fuel remaining in either of the wing fuel tanks. The fuel tanks were not ruptured. The accident airplane had been fueled with 24.7 gallons of fuel 30 minutes prior to the accident flight. The useable fuel for the Cessna 150 is 24.5 gallons. The fuel endurance for a Cessna 152 at maximum cruise power at 2,000 feet above mean sea level is 3.25 hours. The accident occurred 4 hours and 10 minutes after departure.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 51 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 24 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,557 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 31, 2001; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HUF Terre Haute IN at 5:00 pm
- Destination: DMO Sedalia MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft; a few clouds at 700 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 9:11 pm from DMO, 2 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.