Summary
On July 28, 2009, a Cessna 150M (N6433K) was involved in an incident near Lexington, KY. 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: A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel manangement.
The pilot departed on the outbound leg of a cross country flight with the fuel tanks filled to "1/8-inch below the solid ring of the [fuel filler] neck." He departed on the return leg of the flight without refueling the airplane, and about 6 miles prior to reaching the final destination, the engine lost power. The pilot adjusted the engine controls, which restored engine power briefly, but it again lost power, and he subsequently performed a forced landing. The airplane touched down, struck a fence, and was substantially damaged. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that there was no odor of fuel, no evidence of fuel spillage, and that the airplane contained less than 8 quarts of fuel at the scene.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA09CA426. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N6433K.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel manangement.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot departed on the outbound leg of a cross country flight with the fuel tanks filled to "1/8-inch below the solid ring of the [fuel filler] neck." He departed on the return leg of the flight without refueling the airplane, and about 6 miles prior to reaching the final destination, the engine lost power. The pilot adjusted the engine controls, which restored engine power briefly, but it again lost power, and he subsequently performed a forced landing. The airplane touched down, struck a fence, and was substantially damaged. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that there was no odor of fuel, no evidence of fuel spillage, and that the airplane contained less than 8 quarts of fuel at the scene. When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot stated "even though indications were that there was sufficient fuel for the return flight, getting fuel at [the departure airport] as a precaution would have prevented the accident."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA09CA426