N5854E

On May 19, 2001, at 1152 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150, N5854E, collided with the ground and two fences during an emergency landing near Griffin, Georgia. The training flight was operated by the pilot 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 certified flight instructor and the student pilot were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed a private airstrip in Griffin, Georgia, at 1150.

Reportedly, this was the first flight after a maintenance inspection. Shortly after takeoff from the private airstrip, the engine lost power. The certified flight instructor selected the only available emergency landing area and attempted to land. During the emergency-landing roll, the airplane collided with two fences before coming to a stop in the field.

During the examination of the airplane, no fuel was found in the left tank. When the right tank was checked it revealed 3/4 inch of fuel. According to the pilots operating handbook for the airplane, the unusable fuel quantity is 3.5 gallons. During the functional examination of the engine, it operated normally at the idle power range. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane. No evidence of mechanical engine failure was found. The pilot reported that the flight departed with approximately 17 gallons of aviation fuel on board.