Cessna 152 N49815

Summary

On 8 December 2005 at about 21:00 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N49815 was involved in an accident near Key Largo, Florida, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 December 2005 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Key Largo, Florida, United States

Coordinates

25.0833, -80.4167

Aircraft

Cessna 152

Registration

N49815

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marathon → Bunnell

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA06LA026

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons that resulted in the airplane being ditched into the ocean. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's operation of an airplane with known deficiencies due to it having sat in flooded waters.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he had been asked by the owner to ferry an airplane that had just been purchased, and further said that the airplane had been sitting in an area that had extensive flooding, which had occurred as a result of hurricanes that had affected the area. After conducting a preflight examination the pilot said he took off, and was in cruise flight at an altitude of 1,500 feet for about 15 minutes, when all of a sudden, without warning, the engine ceased operating. He said he was able to keep the engine operating through the use of the primer, but after a little while the engine ceased operating all together, and he ditched the airplane in the ocean. The pilot also said that he had experienced "several problems" with the FAA, and at the time of the accident flight, both his FAA private pilot certificate and his FAA airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate had been revoked. After recovery from the ocean an FAA inspector examined the airplane and it was to have extensive corrosion. The magnetos, carburetor and spark plugs had either been worn, severely fouled, or had corroded, and according to the inspector, due to the flooding, as well as the airplane having been ditched in the ocean, he was unable to determine its preaccident condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.