Cessna 152 accident near Titusville, Florida, January 25, 2009
On January 25, 2009 at about 1:50 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N48570, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Titusville, Florida (Space Coast Regional Airport). It was a personal 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
A loss of engine power during approach due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 2009 · about 1:50 am local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · Space Coast Regional Airport · 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
- N48570 · no longer on the register · serial 15280918
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following a 4.2-hour cross-country flight, which included 11 touch-and-go landings, the pilot of the Cessna 152 was on final approach to land. About 400 feet above the ground the airplane's engine lost power and the airplane impacted trees short of the runway. The pilot reported that during the last circuit around the airport traffic pattern the fuel gauges showed that the right fuel tank was 1/4 full and the left fuel tank was less than 1/4 full. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane at the scene and noted no evidence of fuel spillage. After the airplane was recovered, approximately 3 to 4 total ounces of fuel were drained from all of the fuel drains. The airplane was serviced with 2 gallons of fuel and the engine was run at 1,200 rpm for 3 minutes with no anomalies noted.
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 approach
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 550 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 386 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 19, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,720.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 5, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Famco Aviation, Inc
The flight
- Departed from: TIX Titusville FL
- Destination: TIX Titusville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 7,319 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 1:46 am from TIX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.