What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Downdraft on final. Struck trees 300 yards short of runway. Found fuel tanks empty of useable fuel. Short fuel rang (-23) on August 10, 1997, at 1240 MDT, N22286, a Cessna 150H, landed 400 yards short of runway 027 of the Los Alamos Airport (lam), NM., due to the loss of engine power. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from chandler, Arizona, 3 hours and 40 minutes prior to the accident. After conducting a comprehensive inspection of N22286 at the accident site, it was found that the aircraft had atotal of 2.88 gallons of fuel on board. The fuel lines were not breached and were unobstructed. The carburetor fuel bowl had approximately 1.8 ounces of fuel in it. The firewall fuel bowl/filter and carburetor inlet screens were unobstructed. The engine exhaust and induction systems were unobstructed. The engine compression of all four cylinders were satisfactory. The engine valve train system functioned normally. The engine and propeller did not exhibit any signs of "power-on" at impact. The left and right magnetos emitted sparks in all cylinder positions when rotated. The vertical stabilizer and tail section was twisted and almost separated from the rest of the aircraft, the horizontal stabilizer was separated from the aircraft lying several feet away from the rest of the aircraft. The right wing aft attached point was fractured and the leading edge was collapsed from the wing root to the outboard wing tip. The left wing was bent aft and crushed from the wing strut to the outboard wing tip. The engine mount assembly was bent and twisted. The propeller was bent aftwards and the propeller spinner was crushed. The left landing gear was separated from the aircraft. A subsequent evaluation of the aircraft by a Cessna aircraft investigator confirmed the lack of fuel on board and that there weren't any other factors that contributed to the loss of engine power. When N22286 departed chd the aircraft basic empty weight was 1088.8 lbs., the fuel load weighed 152.62 lbs, crew and passenger weighed a total of 449 lbs., and the baggage weighed approximately 25 lbs. This made the aircraft gross weight at take-off to be 1715.42 lbs. The aircraft certificated maximum gross weight is 1600.0 lbs.
As the FAA filed it
DOWNDRAFT ON FINAL. STRUCK TREES 300 YARDS SHORT OF RUNWAY. FOUND FUEL TANKS EMPTY OF USEABLE FUEL. SHORT FUEL RANG (-23) ON AUGUST 10, 1997, AT 1240 MDT, N22286, A CESSNA 150H, LANDED 400 YARDS SHORT OF RUNWAY 027 OF THE LOS ALAMOS AIRPORT (LAM), NM., DUE TO THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CHANDLER, ARIZONA, 3 HOURS AND 40 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. AFTER CONDUCTING A COMPREHENSIVE INSPECTION OF N22286 AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD ATOTAL OF 2.88 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE FUEL LINES WERE NOT BREACHED AND WERE UNOBSTRUCTED. THE CARBURETOR FUEL BOWL HAD APPROXIMATELY 1.8 OUNCES OF FUEL IN IT. THE FIREWALL FUEL BOWL/FILTER AND CARBURETOR INLET SCREENS WERE UNOBSTRUCTED. THE ENGINE EXHAUST AND INDUCTION SYSTEMS WERE UNOBSTRUCTED. THE ENGINE COMPRESSION OF ALL FOUR CYLINDERS WERE SATISFACTORY. THE ENGINE VALVE TRAIN SYSTEM FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER DID NOT EXHIBIT ANY SIGNS OF "POWER-ON" AT IMPACT. THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAGNETOS EMITTED SPARKS IN ALL CYLINDER POSITIONS WHEN ROTATED. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND TAIL SECTION WAS TWISTED AND ALMOST SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT LYING SEVERAL FEET AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE RIGHT WING AFT ATTACHED POINT WAS FRACTURED AND THE LEADING EDGE WAS COLLAPSED FROM THE WING ROOT TO THE OUTBOARD WING TIP. THE LEFT WING WAS BENT AFT AND CRUSHED FROM THE WING STRUT TO THE OUTBOARD WING TIP. THE ENGINE MOUNT ASSEMBLY WAS BENT AND TWISTED. THE PROPELLER WAS BENT AFTWARDS AND THE PROPELLER SPINNER WAS CRUSHED. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. A SUBSEQUENT EVALUATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY A CESSNA AIRCRAFT INVESTIGATOR CONFIRMED THE LACK OF FUEL ON BOARD AND THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY OTHER FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. WHEN N22286 DEPARTED CHD THE AIRCRAFT BASIC EMPTY WEIGHT WAS 1088.8 LBS., THE FUEL LOAD WEIGHED 152.62 LBS, CREW AND PASSENGER WEIGHED A TOTAL OF 449 LBS., AND THE BAGGAGE WEIGHED APPROXIMATELY 25 LBS. THIS MADE THE AIRCRAFT GROSS WEIGHT AT TAKE-OFF TO BE 1715.42 LBS. THE AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATED MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT IS 1600.0 LBS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.