Summary
On January 23, 2017, a Cessna 150 (N3545L) was involved in an incident near Denton, TX. 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 fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
The pilot reported that while on base to final, the engine quit. He further reported that the airplane could not make it to the runway and force landed in a small field a half mile from the airport.
The airplane impacted a tree during landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage and wings.
The pilot reported there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector who responded to the accident stated, that when he arrived he only observed a few drops of fuel remaining in the airplane's undamaged fuel system.
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA17CA121. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3545L.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that while on base to final, the engine quit. He further reported that the airplane could not make it to the runway and force landed in a small field a half mile from the airport.
The airplane impacted a tree during landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage and wings.
The pilot reported there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector who responded to the accident stated, that when he arrived he only observed a few drops of fuel remaining in the airplane's undamaged fuel system. He further stated that prior to removal of the wings from the airplane for transport, all the fuel was drained from the fuel tanks, totaling approximately 1.5 gallons of fuel.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA17CA121