Cessna 152 accident near Melrose, Florida, May 23, 2016
On May 23, 2016 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 152, registered N952SA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Melrose, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2016 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Melrose, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 NO SERIES, built 1977 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N952SA · registry record · serial 15280667
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
When the private pilot was about 1 hour into a cross-country personal flight, as the airplane was descending to the destination airport, the engine suddenly lost all power. The pilot prepared for an approach to a nearby field and attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. The airplane came to rest upright in swampy terrain and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and nose section. Examination of the wreckage after recovery revealed that both wing fuel tanks remained intact, and no fuel was observed in either fuel tank or the carburetor. Postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the airplane's flight records, the fueling records, and the operator's account of the airplane's flight and fueling history revealed contradictory information that could not be reconciled, so the reason for the lack of fuel could not be determined.
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 (descent) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- 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 Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 116 hours in all; 30 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,300.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 17, 2016; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,676 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 11,292 hours total
- Operator: Sunrise Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: OMN Ormond Beach FL at 7:00 pm
- Destination: GNV Gainesville FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from K42J, 8 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.
Other NTSB records under N952SA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ERA16LA193.