Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 150F near Neillsville, WI — 2015-05-02

Final reportCEN15LA217
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Date
2015-05-02
Location
Neillsville, WI, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA 150F
Registration
N8558G
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because a postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that the engine start and run-up were normal. About 20 minutes after takeoff for the personal cross-country flight, the engine power decreased to idle. The pilot applied the carburetor heat, and the engine regained cruise power. About 2 minutes later, he turned the carburetor heat off. The engine continued to produce cruise power for about 4 minutes before it again decreased to idle. The pilot reapplied carburetor heat, and the engine power increased for about 1 minute before dropping back to idle. The pilot cycled the carburetor heat and verified the position of the engine and fuel controls, but he was unable to regain engine power. The airplane contacted trees shortly after touching down in a field. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Although the weather conditions were conducive for the formation of carburetor ice at glide power settings, the engine was set at cruise power when the initial loss of engine power occurred, and the application of carburetor heat did not regain the engine power. The airplane departed with about 10 gallons of fuel onboard. The flight lasted about 40 minutes, and the airplane consumes about 6 gallons per hour, which would have left about 6 gallons of fuel on board at the time of the accident, 3.5 gallons of which were unusable. The postaccident examination revealed that fuel was onboard the airplane. The investigation could not determine the reason for the loss of engine power.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel levels before departure to ensure adequate fuel for flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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