Cessna O1 - A accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, March 23, 2014
On March 23, 2014 at about 6:10 pm local time, a 1951 Cessna O1 - A, registered N211PP, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near St. Petersburg, Florida (Albert Whitted airport). It was a banner-towing 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper in-flight fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion in the selected tank and a subsequent loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2014 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · Albert Whitted · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna O1 - A, built 1951
- Registration
- N211PP · registry record · serial 22956
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on the 2-hour banner tow flight with 58 gallons of fuel onboard the airplane. After 1 hour, the pilot returned to the airport to pick up a different banner for the second hour of the flight. The pilot's first pick-up attempt was unsuccessful. He then briefly circled the pick-up location and then completed the pick-up on the second attempt. During the initial climb, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot released the banner and conducted a forced landing to a saltwater bay. Postrecovery examination of the fuel tanks revealed that the right main and auxiliary tanks were full of fuel and contained some saltwater. The left auxiliary tank was full of fuel and contained some saltwater, and the 18-gallon left main tank was empty and dry and contained no traces of either fuel or water. The pilot reported that the entire flight was conducted on the left main fuel tank. During a subsequent test run using the fuel that was onboard the airplane at the time of the accident, the engine operated with no anomalies or malfunctions. Interpolation of fuel consumption chart data revealed that the engine could consume between 7 and 10 gallons per hour (gph) during cruise flight and, according to an engine manufacturer representative, it could consume up to 21 gph during a full-power climb. According to the pilot, the engine power loss occurred during the fifth climbout of the flight. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, the fuel selector should be placed on the fullest tank before descent. Although the fuel selector was found in the right main tank position, the pilot did not recall switching the fuel selector to the right tank, and it is likely that he moved the fuel selector following the loss of engine power.
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 initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Ditching during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,078 hours in all; 63 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 2,880 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,140 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 27, 2014; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 2,507 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPG St. Petersburg FL
- Destination: SPG St. Petersburg FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,864 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; scat at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from SPG, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA14LA167.