Accident Flight
A pilot with 145 hours of flight time was conducting a cross-country flight in a Cessna 152. She intended to stop at several airports along the route. At the first stop, she performed a touch-and-go landing. At the next airport, she made a full stop landing. There, the airplane was serviced with 6 gallons of fuel. The pilot restarted the engine and departed for her original airport. Approximately 10 minutes after takeoff, the engine lost power. The pilot executed the published emergency procedures and attempted two restarts, both unsuccessful. While searching for a forced landing area, she chose to land on a road. The airplane nosed over upon touchdown, coming to rest inverted. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the accident airplane. The inspection revealed no obvious mechanical deficiencies with the engine. However, a significant amount of water was observed in the gascolator. During an interview with the inspector, the pilot stated that she had drained the fuel tank sumps before her first flight of the day but did not do so before the accident flight. She further indicated that she had not drained the gascolator prior to the accident flight.