Cessna 152 accident near Boca Raton, Florida, January 16, 1997
On January 16, 1997 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N69219, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boca Raton, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate inspection of the fuel caps by company maintenance personnel resulting in a cap with a deteriorated seal being allowed to continue in service. This allowed water to leak into the fuel tank which resulted in loss of engine power due to water ingestion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 1997 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Boca Raton, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N69219 · no longer on the register · serial 15285350
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during preflight inspection she did not see any water in fuel samples she drew from the wing sump drains and fuel strainer. After 55 minutes of flight, while on final approach, the engine quit. The pilot made a forced landing in a wooded area. Postcrash examination showed that the fuel strainer and carburetor bowl were full of water. The right fuel cap was found to be leaking. The engine operated normally after removal of the water from the fuel system. The fueling source was free of water and other aircraft fueled from this source did not contain water. The aircraft was refueled 5 days before the accident and did not fly until the accident flight. Between the last refueling and the accident flight the aircraft sat on the ramp. On several of the days it rained. The aircraft received a 100-hour inspection, 17 days and 21 flight hours before the accident.
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: student
- Flight time: 350 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 30, 1996; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BCT at 1:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 900 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from PBI, 18 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.