Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Darkness was a related factor.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On January 12, 1996, at 2333 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150L, N18181, collided with a utility pole while attempting an emergency landing on a state highway near Sun City, Florida. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the private pilot was not injured. The flight departed Tampa, Florida, at 2030.
According to the pilot, about three hours into the flight, he experienced a complete loss of engine power. He selected a nearby state highway and attempted an emergency landing. During the landing roll, the left wing collided with a guywire to a utility pole, tearing off part of the left wing.
During an examination of the airplane, no fuel was recovered from the left fuel tank, and approximately one gallon of fuel was recovered from the right tank. The engine was examined and operated, and it performed properly. The pilot provided a statement. He did not indicate if the fuel tanks were filled to capacity.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ATL96LA034