Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 150 near Brookfield, MO — 2015-08-11

Final reportCEN15LA361
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Date
2015-08-11
Location
Brookfield, MO, USA
Airport
MO8
Aircraft
CESSNA 150
Registration
N8896U
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to visually check the quantity of fuel in the fuel tanks in accordance with the Preflight checklist, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the subsequent forced landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he departed on a cross-country flight with the fuel gauges indicating that the fuel tanks were half full, which he thought was sufficient fuel for the flight. While on final approach to the destination airport, the engine lost power, and the pilot subsequently performed an off-field forced landing. The airplane struck a wire fence and sustained substantial damage. Examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact anomalies, and no usable fuel was found in the fuel tanks. The pilot reported that he did not visually check the fuel level in the fuel tanks before the flight, which was not in accordance with the Preflight checklist in the Airplane Owner's Manual. He added that he relied on the fuel gauge indications to determine the quantity of fuel on board the airplane. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the exhaustion of usable fuel during the flight, which led to the loss of engine power.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot did not physically check fuel levels before flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 7 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents7

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