Pilot Debrief

Cessna 150 near Wadsworth, OH — 2020-02-15

Final reportCEN20LA092
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Date
2020-02-15
Location
Wadsworth, OH, USA
Airport
3G3
Aircraft
Cessna 150
Registration
N714ER
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot was on approach to land the airplane when the engine lost power and the airplane landed short of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the engine mount. After the accident, a mechanic drained 2 gallons of fuel from the fuel tanks, which would not have been usable in flight. The pilot estimated there had been 7 gallons of fuel in the fuel tanks before the half-hour flight, and there is no evidence that the airplane had been fueled before the accident flight. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Given the length of flight and the average fuel burn, the pilot didn’t ensure sufficient fuel was onboard before departure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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