Cessna 152 accident near Milford, Iowa, June 5, 1990
On June 5, 1990 at about 4:15 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N94615, was substantially damaged in an accident near Milford, Iowa. 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
FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO MISJUDGED FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND, AND A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD WITH A HIDDEN OBSTRUCTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 1990 · about 4:15 am local time
- Place
- Milford, Iowa · 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
- N94615 · no longer on the register · serial 15285744
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PVT PILOT SAID THAT HE HAD REACHED CRUISING ALTITUDE, LEVELED OFF, AND HAD LEANED THE FUEL MIXTURE, WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. AN EMERGENCY NIGHT LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED, WHICH RESULTED IN A NOSE OVER. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS, BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS EMPTY OF USABLE FUEL.
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: 193 hours in all; 116 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 155 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0Y4 Hartley IA at 4:00 am
- Destination: EST Estherville IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 140° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:50 am from 3SE, 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.