On August 23, 1987, a Cessna 152 (registration N5270B) operated by Omni Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Lewisburg, KY. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to refuel at the en route stop as required by flight school policy, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 11 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A student pilot flying solo on a cross-country flight experienced an engine failure due to fuel exhaustion after skipping a refueling stop mandated by his flight school's policy.
What happened
A student pilot was conducting a solo cross-country flight. Approximately thirty minutes after departing from the en route stop, the aircraft's engine quit. The pilot reported that he had checked the fuel quantity prior to departure. However, the flight school's policy required refueling at the en route stop, which the pilot did not do. The aircraft was subsequently landed in a field and struck a fence during the landing roll.
The investigation
The aircraft operator reported that there was minimal fuel in the fuel tanks when the aircraft was recovered. This finding corroborated the conclusion that the engine failure was due to fuel exhaustion.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to refuel at the en route stop as required by flight school policy, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.