N60764Cessna 150J 2000-08-01 NTSB Accident Report

Substantial
Serious

Cessna 150J S/N: 15070559

Summary

On August 01, 2000, a Cessna 150J (N60764) was involved in an accident near Morgan Hill, CA. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and failure to verify the fuel supply onboard the airplane.

On August 1, 2000, at 1253 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150J, N60764, lost engine power and collided with ground obstructions during an off-airport forced landing 3 miles northeast of Morgan Hill, California. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured. The aircraft, operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91, received substantial damage. The flight departed Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Fresno, California, at an unknown time, and was scheduled to terminate at South County Airport of Santa Clara, San Martin, California. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the instructional flight and no flight plan was filed.

This accident is documented in NTSB report LAX00LA284. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N60764.

Accident Details

Date
Tuesday, August 1, 2000
NTSB Number
LAX00LA284
Location
MORGAN HILL, CA
Event ID
20001212X21762
Coordinates
37.170948, -121.650177
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
1
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and failure to verify the fuel supply onboard the airplane.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
CESSNA
Serial Number
15070559
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Model / ICAO
150J C150
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
CHIMINELLO ANTHONY J
Address
12566 FERNWOOD DR
Status
Deregistered
City
MADERA
State / Zip Code
CA 93638-8667
Country
United States

Analysis

On August 1, 2000, at 1253 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150J, N60764, lost engine power and collided with ground obstructions during an off-airport forced landing 3 miles northeast of Morgan Hill, California. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured. The aircraft, operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91, received substantial damage. The flight departed Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Fresno, California, at an unknown time, and was scheduled to terminate at South County Airport of Santa Clara, San Martin, California. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the instructional flight and no flight plan was filed.

According to an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) San Jose (California) Flight Standards District Office, the pilot acknowledged in an interview that he ran out of fuel. The accident location was about 3 miles from his intended destination. The pilot said that a fueler was supposed to have filled the aircraft to capacity before his departure but evidently did not. During his preflight inspection of the aircraft the pilot did not remove the fuel caps and visually check that the tanks were full.

The Safety Board mailed an NTSB form 6120.1/2, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report on August 1, 2000, to the pilot's FAA address of record. A follow-up letter and copy of the form were sent August 25, 2000. Neither form was returned.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX00LA284