Cessna 152 accident near Bayou La Batre, Alabama, October 17, 1999
On October 17, 1999 at about 10:40 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6504L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bayou La Batre, Alabama. It was a personal 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
The pilot's improper preflight fuel planning and the his improper en route fuel consumption calculations resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 1999 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- Bayou La Batre, Alabama · 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
- N6504L · registry record · serial 15284424
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, and the operator's fueling records, the pilot pumped 4.5 gallons of fuel into the rental airplane after it had flown 2.5 hours since refuel to full tanks. He then flew it for an additional 2.7 hours, including 3 takeoffs and 2 landings, before the engine lost power. During the forced landing the airplane struck a pecan tree. Examination revealed no fuel was found in the fuel tanks or carburetor, and very little had leaked out of the gascolator, postcrash.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 172 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 126 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,522 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 27, 1999; 145 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5R7 AL at 9:35 pm
- Destination: 5R4 Foley AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from MOB, 16 miles away
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.