N11790 – CESSNA 150L – 2011-02-05 NTSB Accident Report

On February 05, 2011, a Cessna 150L (N11790) was involved in an incident near Gonzales, LA. 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 flight instructor's failure to monitor the available fuel supply, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

The certified flight instructor did not visually inspect the fuel tanks prior to departure, but the fuel gauge was just below the full mark and the student pilot told him the fuel tanks were full. Based on his experience in the airplane, the instructor estimated a total of 4 hours of fuel on board and then departed on an instructional flight that included numerous practice take offs and landings. Approximately 3 hours into the flight, as they were returning to their home airport, the engine lost power. The instructor was unable to re-start the engine and made a forced landing to a grass field where the right wing hit a tree causing substantial damage to the strut. The nose gear separated from the airframe and both wing tips, the engine cowling, and wheel fairings were damaged.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN11CA221. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N11790.