What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 4, 1999, at 2225 central daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N45078, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during an emergency landing in a wheat field, approx. one mile east of Lyons-Rice County Municipal Airport, Lyons, Kansas. The pilot reported fuel exhaustion to air traffic control. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR part 91 flight was operating on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from the johnson county executive airport, olathe, Kansas, at 1900, en route to Lyons municipal airport, Lyons, Kansas (lyo). During an interview, the pilot stated that she had inspected both fuel tanks visually and that they were "almost" full. The pilot added that during the aircraft's preflight both gauges indicated "full" and that the fuel selector was in the "both" position. The pilot reported that she had flown the aircraft on a magnetic heading of 257 degrees, at a cruise altitude of 4,500 feet mean sea level (MSL) and at an engine power setting of 2,300 RPM with the mixture leaned. The pilot reported that a global positioning system (GPS) aboard the ai rcraft showed an average ground speed of 55 knots during the flight. The pilot reported that at 5.6 nmi from lyo, while descending through 3,000 feet MSL, the aircraft's engine began to cough and surge; the aircraft's fuel gauges were indicating 1/4 full in each tank. The pilot stated that she landed on a heading of 257 degrees with the flaps retracted into a wheat field. The pilot reported that the aircraft did not experience a total loss of engine power and that she could not recall whether the aircraft was able to maintain altitude during the event. Inspection of the aircraft by the federal aviation administration revealed the aircraft to be lying upside down with the flaps retracted. The throttle and mixture controls were in their forward positions. (-23)pilot declared an emergency with ATC, stating that she had run out of fuel. Forced off-airport landing at night. Aircraft nosed over, resulting in substantial damage. (.4)the personal flight departed from the johnson county executive airport, olathe, Kansas at 1920 en route to the Lyons Rice county municipal airport (lyo), Lyons, Kansas. The engine was reported to cough and surge approximately 6 nmi from lyo. A report provided by the Kansas highway patrol, stated, 'pilot stated she was headed for Lyons airport and ran out of fuel'.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 4, 1999, AT 2225 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 150M, N45078, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A WHEAT FIELD, APPROX. ONE MILE EAST OF LYONS-RICE COUNTY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LYONS, KANSAS. THE PILOT REPORTED FUEL EXHAUSTION TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING ON A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE JOHNSON COUNTY EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, OLATHE, KANSAS, AT 1900, EN ROUTE TO LYONS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LYONS, KANSAS (LYO). DURING AN INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE HAD INSPECTED BOTH FUEL TANKS VISUALLY AND THAT THEY WERE "ALMOST" FULL. THE PILOT ADDED THAT DURING THE AIRCRAFT'S PREFLIGHT BOTH GAUGES INDICATED "FULL" AND THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE "BOTH" POSITION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT SHE HAD FLOWN THE AIRCRAFT ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 257 DEGREES, AT A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 4,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) AND AT AN ENGINE POWER SETTING OF 2,300 RPM WITH THE MIXTURE LEANED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT A GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) ABOARD THE AI RCRAFT SHOWED AN AVERAGE GROUND SPEED OF 55 KNOTS DURING THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT 5.6 NMI FROM LYO, WHILE DESCENDING THROUGH 3,000 FEET MSL, THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE BEGAN TO COUGH AND SURGE; THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL GAUGES WERE INDICATING 1/4 FULL IN EACH TANK. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE LANDED ON A HEADING OF 257 DEGREES WITH THE FLAPS RETRACTED INTO A WHEAT FIELD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT EXPERIENCE A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND THAT SHE COULD NOT RECALL WHETHER THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE DURING THE EVENT. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT TO BE LYING UPSIDE DOWN WITH THE FLAPS RETRACTED. THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROLS WERE IN THEIR FORWARD POSITIONS. (-23)PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH ATC, STATING THAT SHE HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL. FORCED OFF-AIRPORT LANDING AT NIGHT. AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.4)THE PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM THE JOHNSON COUNTY EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, OLATHE, KANSAS AT 1920 EN ROUTE TO THE LYONS RICE COUNTY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (LYO), LYONS, KANSAS. THE ENGINE WAS REPORTED TO COUGH AND SURGE APPROXIMATELY 6 NMI FROM LYO. A REPORT PROVIDED BY THE KANSAS HIGHWAY PATROL, STATED, 'PILOT STATED SHE WAS HEADED FOR LYONS AIRPORT AND RAN OUT OF FUEL'.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N45078 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.