What happened
On September 11, 2004, a Cessna 152 departed from runway 1. The pilot performed a pre-flight inspection using a marked stick to measure fuel, determining that 7.75 gallons of usable fuel were onboard. The pilot also checked the wing tank sumps and the fuel strainer drain under the fuselage, reporting no signs of water or contaminants. Following a satisfactory run-up, the aircraft completed a normal takeoff.
At approximately 300 feet above the ground, the engine experienced a loss of partial power. The pilot considered returning to the airport but instead elected to continue straight, eventually impacting the tops of tall trees before the aircraft fell to the ground. The wreckage came to rest nose down on the right wing, located 500 feet to the right and 1/4 mile beyond the departure end of the runway.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage showed that the tops of both wings were buckled and the left wing had been displaced aft. The empennage sustained dents and bending. An inspection of the fuel system recovered six ounces of water from the carburetor fuel inlet line.
Environmental conditions at the Ocala, Florida, weather station indicated a narrow temperature-dew point spread during the morning of the accident, with temperatures ranging from 26 to 28 degrees Celsius and dew points at 24 degrees Celsius. The pilot noted that the aircraft had been tied down outside without a cover and had remained unoperated for over thirty days.