Cessna 152 accident near New Smyrna Bch, Florida, July 15, 1996
On July 15, 1996 at about 4:00 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N65514, was destroyed in an accident near New Smyrna Bch, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's impairment of judgment and performance because of gastroenteritis and use of the prescription drug Phenergan (promethazine).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 1996 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- New Smyrna Bch, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N65514 · registry record · serial 15281597
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a VFR flight and did not return to the departure airport. The airplane wreckage was located the following day. During examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly, and accessories, no precrash failure or malfunction was found. The investigation revealed that the pilot had been admitted to a local hospital 2 days before the accident for gastroenteritis. His illness resulted in dehydration, disrupted sleep pattern, and inadequate nutrition. The prescription drug Phenergan (promethazine) was prescribed for the pilot. Toxicology tests of the pilot's blood showed 0.034 mcg/ml promethazine, and promethazine was detected in the pilot's urine. Promethazine produces side effects of drowsiness.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 305 hours in all; 162 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 179 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,932 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 25, 1996; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Phil Air Flight Center
The flight
- Departed from: DAB Daytona Beach FL at 2:53 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from DAB, 10 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.