Accident Summary
On September 5, 2015, at approximately 1330 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152 (registration N6141Q) experienced a total loss of engine power during a practice instrument approach to Miami Executive Airport (TMB) in Miami, Florida. The private pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was operated by Dean International, Inc. under Part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Flight History
The local flight originated from TMB about 1110. The pilot, seated in the left cockpit seat, reported checking the aircraft fuel state by visually inspecting the cockpit quantity indicators and the fuel tanks. After completing preflight tasks, he entered the local pattern for practice instrument approaches. While established on radar vectors for a fourth approach at 1,500 feet above mean sea level on a westerly heading, he observed engine roughness followed by a loss of rpm. He attempted a forced landing on a road but instead chose to land in a muddy area within the Everglades National Park. After the airplane came to rest, the pilots secured it, and first responders arrived.
Wreckage Examination
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage at the site, located in a grass area within Everglades National Park. No evidence of fuel or oil leaks was observed. Both wing fuel tanks were intact and unbreached. The fuselage and engine firewall sustained structural damage from impact forces, and the nose wheel and propeller were broken off.
The following day, the inspector drained the fuel tanks with assistance from the operator's maintenance personnel. The right wing tank contained no fuel. The left wing tank yielded approximately 0.45 gallon of fuel, placed in a 5-gallon container. After wreckage recovery, the inspector examined the engine and found no evidence of an anomaly or failure.
Fuel Information
The operator reported that the airplane was last refueled on September 4, 2015, the day before the accident. After refueling, the aircraft was flown an additional 2.2 hours that day. During the accident flight, the aircraft accrued about 2.4 hours, for a total of 4.6 hours since the last refueling. The airplane's fuel capacity was 26 gallons, including 24.5 gallons of usable fuel. According to the performance chart for the Cessna 152 (cruise at 2,000 feet pressure altitude, 2,400 rpm, standard temperature, and 101 knots true airspeed), fuel consumption was about 6.1 gallons per hour.