N3421J

On June 30, 1995, at 1300 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150G, N3421J, struck a parked tractor with its left wing during a forced landing near Riverdale, California. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of power during cruise. The aircraft was owned and operated by the Lemoore Navy Flying Club, Lemoore, California, and was rented by the pilot for a solo cross-country instructional flight. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The student pilot was not injured. The flight, which departed from Paso Robles, California, was en route to NAS Lemoore (NLC) Airport, on the return leg of a cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.

The student stated that his flight itinerary for the solo cross- country was from NAS Lemoore to Hanford, then to Paso Robles with a final leg back to NAS Lemoore. He reported that during his preflight inspection of the aircraft at NAS Lemoore the right wing fuel tank was filled to the tabs, while the left tank "was a little bit under." The pilot did not use a dipstick or other quantifying device to determine the exact quantity. The student pilot stated that he did not refuel in Paso Robles.

According to the pilot's written statement, while turning inbound to NLC at 1000 feet msl, the "engine stopped." The student pilot trimmed the airplane for 70 knots and searched for a place to make a forced landing. The student pilot landed in a graded dirt field next to a cattle feed lot. He was forced to veer to the right in order to avoid a tractor. The left wing hit a steel fence post, ripping off the left aileron and wing tip. The right wing tip hit the ground and the propeller struck a fence post. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were reported.

The operator stated in a telephone conversation that 3 gallons of fuel were found in both wing fuel tanks in the aircraft's resting position during recovery. The total unusable fuel quantity in the Cessna 150 is 1.5 gallons.