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19960906026329A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 150L · Hope, ME · September 6, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 6, 1996 · 18:45 local
Place
Hope, ME
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6632G
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD96LA144
Reported as
Cessna 150L
Reported engine
Continental O200A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
200 total30 in the last 90 days
N6632GRegistration cancelled Jul 28, 1998 · Cessna 150LS/N 15072132Airframe modelCessna 150L

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft ran out of fuel, landed in a field and flipped over. (.4)while returning from a round trip, cross-country flight, the engine lost power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine, and performed an forced landing to a grass field. During the landing, the airplane nosed over and was damaged. The hobbs meter reading indicated the airplane had been operated for 5.4 hrs. The pilot said he departed knowing he was pushing the envelope for fuel, but he figured he had enough to get home, since the left tank fuel quantity was above 1/4 and the right tank fuel quantity showed above zero. The airplane had a supplemental type certificate for use of automotive gasoline. The pilot said he did not refuel the airplane during the trip because his flight instructor told him to use automotive gasoline only. He was told automotive gasoline was unavailable at his points of landing; however, aviation gasoline was available. The pilot was not aware of the compatibility between automotive and aviation gasoline. The airplane was examined by an FAA inspector; according to his report, fuel was found in a line between the gascolator and carburetor. At least 1 gal of fuel was drained from the right fuel tank and 2 or 3 cups of fuel leaked out of the left fuel tank. An undetermined amount of fuel was observed pushing out of the fuel vent tube. No preimpact failure of the engine or airframe was reported. The airplane's fuel capacity was 26 gal, of which 3.5 gal were unsuable.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF FUEL, LANDED IN A FIELD AND FLIPPED OVER. (.4)WHILE RETURNING FROM A ROUND TRIP, CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE, AND PERFORMED AN FORCED LANDING TO A GRASS FIELD. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND WAS DAMAGED. THE HOBBS METER READING INDICATED THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN OPERATED FOR 5.4 HRS. THE PILOT SAID HE DEPARTED KNOWING HE WAS PUSHING THE ENVELOPE FOR FUEL, BUT HE FIGURED HE HAD ENOUGH TO GET HOME, SINCE THE LEFT TANK FUEL QUANTITY WAS ABOVE 1/4 AND THE RIGHT TANK FUEL QUANTITY SHOWED ABOVE ZERO. THE AIRPLANE HAD A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE FOR USE OF AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE. THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT REFUEL THE AIRPLANE DURING THE TRIP BECAUSE HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOLD HIM TO USE AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE ONLY. HE WAS TOLD AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE WAS UNAVAILABLE AT HIS POINTS OF LANDING; HOWEVER, AVIATION GASOLINE WAS AVAILABLE. THE PILOT WAS NOT AWARE OF THE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN AUTOMOTIVE AND AVIATION GASOLINE. THE AIRPLANE WAS EXAMINED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR; ACCORDING TO HIS REPORT, FUEL WAS FOUND IN A LINE BETWEEN THE GASCOLATOR AND CARBURETOR. AT LEAST 1 GAL OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AND 2 OR 3 CUPS OF FUEL LEAKED OUT OF THE LEFT FUEL TANK. AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS OBSERVED PUSHING OUT OF THE FUEL VENT TUBE. NO PREIMPACT FAILURE OF THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME WAS REPORTED. THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL CAPACITY WAS 26 GAL, OF WHICH 3.5 GAL WERE UNSUABLE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB IAD96LA144Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHope, MEinadequate preflight, by not refueling the airplane during an en route stop, which led to fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a subsequent forced landing.Sep 6, 1996 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N6632G · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19800224003769IPractice Training Manuevers · Millinocket, MEStudent made a precautionary landing in deep snow. Nosed over.Feb 24, 1980 · Minor damage