CESSNA 150
Bloomington, IL — July 3, 2009
Event Information
| Date | July 3, 2009 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | CEN09CA410 |
| Event ID | 20090706X12224 |
| Location | Bloomington, IL |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 40.47694, -88.91583 |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | CESSNA |
| Model | 150 |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The complete loss of engine power as a result of fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight.
Full Narrative
The pilot reported that he checked the fuel level by looking at the fuel gauge prior to departure, and it read about 1/2 tank. Approximately one hour after departure, the pilot was beginning to make a descent to the destination airport. About 3 miles from the airport the engine quit, and the pilot executed a forced landing to a road. During the approach to the road, the stall warning sounded as he tried to clear some trees. He lowered the nose and flew under the trees, but the left wing hit a tree and the airplane impacted the ground. An inspection of the airplane revealed that there was about 1.5 gallons of fuel remaining in the tanks. The Pilot Operating Handbook states that the unusable fuel capacity of the airplane was 3.5 gallons.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.