Pilot Debrief

Cessna 150 near Festus, MO — 2018-09-21

Final reportCEN18FA384
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Date
2018-09-21
Location
Festus, MO, USA
Airport
FES
Aircraft
Cessna 150
Registration
N7152S
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
2
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot's subsequent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to initiate and continue the flight into dark night conditions with a known electrical problem.

NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot and his son were conducting a cross-country flight from New York to Missouri. Before the final fuel stop, they communicated to the pilot's fiancée via text message that the airplane was experiencing a "small electrical problem." The pilot refueled the airplane about 275 miles from the destination airport and continued on the final leg of the flight into dark night conditions. The passenger subsequently messaged the pilot's fiancée and asked her to stand at the end of the runway with a flashlight to help direct the airplane toward the runway for landing. He stated that they would attempt to use a handheld radio onboard to activate the runway lights but were unsure if the radio would have sufficient battery. The passenger also indicated that they had "picked up a head wind" during the flight. The pilot's fiancée reported that the airplane attempted to land, but she was unsure if it touched down on the runway due to the night conditions and the fact that the airplane was "blacked out" and did not have any exterior lights on. The last text message from the passenger stated, "keep light on." The airplane impacted terrain about 1/4 mile from the departure end of the runway in a nose-down attitude consistent with an aerodynamic stall. The two intact fuel tanks contained no usable fuel, and the propeller blades lacked chordwise scratches or torsional deformation, consistent with a loss of engine power. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and engine were noted during the examination, with the exception of the voltage regulator, which was found to be inoperable. Manufacturer guidance stated that, following an electrical system failure, the pilot should land the airplane as soon as practical; however, the pilot chose to both initiate and continue the flight into dark night conditions with a known electrical problem to an airport that required him to activate the runway lights. Though the extent of the pilot's preflight and inflight fuel planning could not be determined, it is possible that the airplane consumed more fuel than planned, as the passenger indicated that the airplane had encountered a headwind inflight, and it is likely that the absence of a fuel quantity indication contributed to the fuel exhaustion. Based on the location of the airplane relative to the runway, it is likely that the pilot initiated a go-around following the first landing attempt. During the go-around, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power and the pilot subsequently failed to maintain airspeed and exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot should have landed when electrical issues were noted instead of continuing flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 14 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents14

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