What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unknown circumstances, lake clarke shores, FL. (.4)the first two legs were uneventful; the fuel tanks were filled after the first flight. During the final leg, he became 'off' course and was taking longer than anticipated due to strong headwinds; no weather briefing was obtained. The pilot did not ask for assistance and corrected for being 'off' course and while flying near the destination airport, the engine quit. The left and right fuel gauges at that time indicated less then 1/4 and 1/4 respectively. The engine was restarted monentarily but quit again. While flying over a congested highway, he attempted a forced landing in a parking lot and collided with a power line and trees. The entire fuel system was found to contain about 2.0 gallons of fuel; 3.5 gallons of fuel is the unusable amount. The right fuel tank transmitter was sticking in a position that corresponded with 1/4 tank capacity. The airplane was inspected 18.5 hours and 2 months and 13 days earlier using the manufacturers checklist. The checklist requires inspection of the transmitters and fuel gauges for proper operation and correct travel. The airplane had been operated for about 4.5 since the fuel tanks were filled after the first leg. (-23) pilot stated that engine quit. He attempted to restart. Wouldn't start. He thought 30 minutes remained for fuel. No fuel in tanks. No fuel on ground. Left & right tanks in good shape. No damage. (.19) on March 28, 1998 about 1946 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150H, N22358, registered to private individuals, collided with a power line, trees, and then the ground during a forced landing near west Palm, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The private-rated pilot was seriously injured and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight originated about 1715 from the charlotte county airport, punta gorda, Florida. The pilot stated to a captain with the lake clarke shores police department that the engine quit and he attempted to restart the engine, but was unable. While descending, he noted a nearby road but there were too many cars and he deviated to the right, and the airplane collided with a power line, then trees and the ground. The airplane rotated 180 degrees and came to rest I n an upright, empennage slightly elevated attitude. Postcrash examination of the airplane revealed that slightly less than 2 gallons of fuel were drained from the fuel tanks, carburetor, and gascolator.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, LAKE CLARKE SHORES, FL. (.4)THE FIRST TWO LEGS WERE UNEVENTFUL; THE FUEL TANKS WERE FILLED AFTER THE FIRST FLIGHT. DURING THE FINAL LEG, HE BECAME 'OFF' COURSE AND WAS TAKING LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED DUE TO STRONG HEADWINDS; NO WEATHER BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED. THE PILOT DID NOT ASK FOR ASSISTANCE AND CORRECTED FOR BEING 'OFF' COURSE AND WHILE FLYING NEAR THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE ENGINE QUIT. THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL GAUGES AT THAT TIME INDICATED LESS THEN 1/4 AND 1/4 RESPECTIVELY. THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED MONENTARILY BUT QUIT AGAIN. WHILE FLYING OVER A CONGESTED HIGHWAY, HE ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING IN A PARKING LOT AND COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE AND TREES. THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM WAS FOUND TO CONTAIN ABOUT 2.0 GALLONS OF FUEL; 3.5 GALLONS OF FUEL IS THE UNUSABLE AMOUNT. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK TRANSMITTER WAS STICKING IN A POSITION THAT CORRESPONDED WITH 1/4 TANK CAPACITY. THE AIRPLANE WAS INSPECTED 18.5 HOURS AND 2 MONTHS AND 13 DAYS EARLIER USING THE MANUFACTURERS CHECKLIST. THE CHECKLIST REQUIRES INSPECTION OF THE TRANSMITTERS AND FUEL GAUGES FOR PROPER OPERATION AND CORRECT TRAVEL. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN OPERATED FOR ABOUT 4.5 SINCE THE FUEL TANKS WERE FILLED AFTER THE FIRST LEG. (-23) PILOT STATED THAT ENGINE QUIT. HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART. WOULDN'T START. HE THOUGHT 30 MINUTES REMAINED FOR FUEL. NO FUEL IN TANKS. NO FUEL ON GROUND. LEFT & RIGHT TANKS IN GOOD SHAPE. NO DAMAGE. (.19) ON MARCH 28, 1998 ABOUT 1946 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 150H, N22358, REGISTERED TO PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE, TREES, AND THEN THE GROUND DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR WEST PALM, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1715 FROM THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY AIRPORT, PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA. THE PILOT STATED TO A CAPTAIN WITH THE LAKE CLARKE SHORES POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE ENGINE QUIT AND HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT WAS UNABLE. WHILE DESCENDING, HE NOTED A NEARBY ROAD BUT THERE WERE TOO MANY CARS AND HE DEVIATED TO THE RIGHT, AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE, THEN TREES AND THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE ROTATED 180 DEGREES AND CAME TO REST I N AN UPRIGHT, EMPENNAGE SLIGHTLY ELEVATED ATTITUDE. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 2 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE DRAINED FROM THE FUEL TANKS, CARBURETOR, AND GASCOLATOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.