Summary
On January 10, 2008, a Cessna 150G (N2490J) was involved in an incident near Sarasota, FL. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's improper preflight and in-flight planning which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
During a cross country flight the pilot of a Cessna 150G executed a forced landing after a complete loss of engine power. During the landing the airplane nosed over substantially damaging the firewall and vertical stabilizer. According to the pilot, after leaving his departure airport, he stopped at two other airports prior to proceeding to his final destination. Once he arrived at his destination airport, he was unable to turn on the runway lights and began to orbit the airport. Approximately 10 minutes later, the engine began to "roll back" and lost all power. The pilot estimated that he had operated the airplane for 3.2 hours prior to the loss of power and that all of the flights had been operated at 3,000 feet.
This incident is documented in NTSB report NYC08CA079. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2490J.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's improper preflight and in-flight planning which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
During a cross country flight the pilot of a Cessna 150G executed a forced landing after a complete loss of engine power. During the landing the airplane nosed over substantially damaging the firewall and vertical stabilizer. According to the pilot, after leaving his departure airport, he stopped at two other airports prior to proceeding to his final destination. Once he arrived at his destination airport, he was unable to turn on the runway lights and began to orbit the airport. Approximately 10 minutes later, the engine began to "roll back" and lost all power. The pilot estimated that he had operated the airplane for 3.2 hours prior to the loss of power and that all of the flights had been operated at 3,000 feet. He stated that the fuel burn had been 4.2 gallons an hour in accordance with the pilot's operating handbook (POH). A review of the Cessna 150G POH revealed that 3.24 gallons was required for the three, engine start, taxi, and takeoff sequences. A review of the airplane's engine hour meter and maintenance records revealed that the airplane had been operated for 4.6 hours. Fuel burn calculations derived from information in the POH, the pilot's stated fuel burn, and hour meter information revealed that a total of 22.52 gallons of gasoline would have been consumed. According to the POH, total usable fuel was 22.5 gallons. A postaccident examination by an airframe and powerplant mechanic revealed no evidence of fuel in either the fuel lines or fuel tanks.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC08CA079