What happened
The pilot was operating a Cessna 152 when the engine experienced a loss of power while en route to Sanford, Florida. Unable to maintain flight, the pilot executed an emergency landing on Interstate 4. During this ground contact, the aircraft's left wing and propeller struck a van traveling on the highway.
The investigation
Following the incident, the operator drained all remaining fuel from the aircraft prior to removing the wings for transport back to Sanford. The total amount of fuel removed was approximately 1 1/4 gallons. According to the Cessna 152 operating manual, the long-range fuel tank capacity is 39 gallons, with 1 1/2 gallons designated as unusable fuel.
Findings
The investigation revealed that the aircraft contained less than the minimum usable fuel quantity specified in the operating manual. The discrepancy between the drained fuel amount and the unusable fuel limit indicates a critical shortage of available fuel during flight.