Cessna 152 accident near Everglades City, Florida, December 16, 2017
On December 16, 2017 at about 6:20 pm local time, a 1984 Cessna 152, registered N95550, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Everglades City, Florida (Oasis Ranger Station-U S Gover airport). 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 loose nut connecting the mixture control cable to the mixture control arm, which resulted in the pilot’s inability to control the mixture and the subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 2017 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- Everglades City, Florida · Oasis Ranger Station-U S Gover · 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 1984 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N95550 · no longer on the register · serial 15285918
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while in level cruise flight on the personal flight, he adjusted the throttle and mixture controls. Shortly after, the engine lost total power. Emergency engine procedures did not restore engine power, and the pilot selected a nearby airport for a forced landing. During the subsequent emergency landing, the airplane struck a perimeter fence before impacting the ground just short of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident engine examination revealed that when the mixture control was manipulated, the cable moved, but the mixture arm on the carburetor did not move. When the fiber lock nut that attached the mixture cable to the mixture arm was tightened, the mixture linkage operated normally. The engine was then started and operated at various power settings. Given the absence of mechanical issues other than the loose mixture control fiber lock nut, it is likely that the mixture linkage became loose and the mixture control arm vibrated to the lean direction, which resulted in the mixture being too lean and the engine losing total 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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel controlling system › Inoperative
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Malfunction
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 29.8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: foreign licence, private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,264.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 24, 2017; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,669 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Miami FL at 5:00 pm
- Destination: VNC Venice FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,060 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from TMB, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on January 3, 2020. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilots' Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Most Recent Maintenance Records | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Observations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Accident Site Diagram | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Parts Catalog Engine Installation Excerpt | PDF, 7 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.