Cessna 152 accident near Jacksonville, Florida, May 23, 1991
On May 23, 1991 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6495L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida. 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
PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO MISJUDGED FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 1991 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · 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
- N6495L · no longer on the register · serial 15284419
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT DEPARTED WITH FULL FUEL TANKS & WHEN THE FLT WAS APRX 12 MILES FROM THE DESTINATION ARPT THE ENG BEGAN SURGING. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE THE PLT ELECTED TO PERFORM A LANDING IN A FIELD BUT DURING THE DESCENT, THE LT WING COLLIDED WITH A POLE. THE ACFT THEN LANDED & CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. THE FUEL TANKS WERE DRAINED WHICH REVEALED THAT THEY CONTAINED 3.25 GALS. THE UNUSABLE FUEL QUANTITY IS 1.5 GALS. AN A&P MECHANIC EXAMINED THE ENG & FOUND NO RESONS FOR THE FAILURE/MALFUNCTION.
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: 1,022 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 83 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,887 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 9, 1991; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Langley Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: HYW Conway SC at 4:50 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.