Cessna 152 accident near Antlers, Oklahoma, March 23, 2001
On March 23, 2001 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5308M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Antlers, Oklahoma. It was a public-use 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
fuel exhaustion in cruise flight due to the pilot's delay in refueling. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2001 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Antlers, Oklahoma · 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
- N5308M · no longer on the register · serial 15284523
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While performing fire spotting duties, the pilot reported to the operator that he had "been flying for three hours [and that he] was headed to get some fuel." The operator instructed the pilot to complete another circuit before departing for fuel. Five minutes later, the pilot called the operator "to remind him that [he] had been flying for over three hours, and that [he] was headed to get some [fuel]." The operator acknowledged and told the pilot to report when he was "back in the air." Subsequently, the pilot set his global positioning system (GPS) to his refueling location and figured that it would take him approximately twenty-five minutes to get there. While in cruise flight, approximately eight minutes before reaching his destination, the pilot noticed a decrease in rpm and engine roughness. Shortly after, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a field surrounded by trees that he had previously flown over. Upon touch down, he applied the brakes, but the airplane would not stop due to the wet field. During the landing roll, he made a turn to avoid a ditch which was at the end of the field, and the airplane hit small trees and an object on the ground, nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot stated the accident could have been prevented with the "use [of] better judgment" and by "exercising pilot in command responsibility regarding fuel consumption, wind direction, time and other condition."
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 294 hours in all; 145 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 154 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 25, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,381.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 28, 2000; 13.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RVS Tulsa OK at 5:30 pm
- Destination: HHW Hugo OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.