Cessna 152 accident near Tamarac, Florida, July 20, 2017
On July 20, 2017 at about 11:50 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 152, registered N714UY, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Tamarac, Florida. It was an instructional 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 flight instructor's failure to ensure that the airplane's fuel system was free of water contamination before departing, which resulted in a total loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2017 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Tamarac, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 NO SERIES, built 1977 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N714UY · no longer on the register · serial 15279454
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor, the student pilot performed a preflight inspection of the airplane before their training flight, and she observed him sample fuel from the left fuel tank four times to get water out of the tank. After the last sample, she observed no water. She did not observe fuel from the right fuel tank being sampled; however, the student pilot told her there was "a little water" in the right tank. She then performed her own preflight inspection and found no anomalies. They departed with the student pilot flying. During the first steep turn to the right, the engine lost total power; the student pilot leveled the wings, and engine power was restored. The flight instructor decided to return to the airport immediately. During the return flight, the engine lost total power again. The flight instructor performed a forced landing to a levy, during which the airplane flipped over and sustained substantial damage. Postaccident fuel samples taken from the lower fuselage drain and gascolator were contaminated with significant amounts of water. It is likely that this water contamination in the fuel resulted in the total 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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
- Fuel contamination during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Water/moisture › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Flight time: 420 hours in all; 214 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 281 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 22, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 13 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,615 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 31, 2017; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,669 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL
- Destination: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from FXE, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on October 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record - Telephone Interview, Flight Instructor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record - Telephone Interview, Student Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum for Record - Telephone Interview, Owner | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.