Cessna 152 accident near Coral Springs, Florida, November 12, 1998
On November 12, 1998 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N65611, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coral Springs, Florida. It was an instructional 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 delay by the pilot to obtain proper assistance after becoming lost/disoriented resulting in total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of total experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 1998 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Coral Springs, Florida
- 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
- N65611 · no longer on the register · serial 15281650
- 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 the flight departed and after reaching his third to the last checkpoint, he could not located his next checkpoint. He orbited the area then became lost and about 3 hours 30 minutes after the flight departed, he contacted the Miami AFSS and advised he was lost, the right fuel tank and empty and the left fuel tank was low on fuel. He then flew away from the congested area expecting to perform a forced landing due to fuel exhaustion and after the engine quit due to fuel exhaustion, he landed the airplane on a dike. During the landing roll, the airplane rolled off the dike and collided with trees. The airplane had been operated for 3.8 hours since takeoff according to the hour meter. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were empty.
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: 55 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,597 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 27, 1998; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aircraft Developement Flight
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Miami FL at 1:39 pm
- Destination: PHK Pahokee FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PBI, 20 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.