On January 10, 2009, at 1620 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 152L, N21999, executed a precautionary landing into a freshly plowed farmer's field near Pescadero, California. The private pilot rented the airplane from Sterling Flight LLC, Concord, California, and operated it under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot received minor injuries and his passenger was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Monterey, California, at 1530.

The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report that they left Monterey with the left fuel tank at 5/8 full and the right fuel tank at 1/4 full. After flying 60 miles the pilot noted that the left fuel gage read 0 and the right fuel gage read 1/8. The remaining 20 miles of the flight was to be over water and rugged coast line. Due to the airplane's low fuel state, the pilot decided to make a precautionary landing into a freshly plowed farmer's field. At the end of the landing roll the airplane nosed over.