# Accident 19990704026889A: Cessna 150M, Lyons, KS, July 4, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 4, 1999, 22:20 local time - Place: Lyons, KS - Airport: Lyons-Rice County Municipal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.3409° N, 98.1995° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3409&lon=-98.1995&mi=10 - Aircraft: N45078, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N45078-2013-08-19) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 150M (registry code 2071830, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150m) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental 0-200 series (registry code 17020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150M - Reported engine: CONT O200A - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 210 total, 173 in this make and model, 17 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99LA212](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA212) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990704026889A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.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'. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI99LA212](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA212), Jul 5, 1999: Cessna 150M (N45078), Lyons, KS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate fuel management leading to fuel exhaustion. ## Other reports on N45078 (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19820310004359A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19820310004359A), Mar 10, 1982: Cessna 150M (N45078), Lees Summit, MO, Substantial damage. Lost control landing in gusty wind. Ran off side of runway into a ditch. - [Accident 19761017033351A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19761017033351A), Oct 17, 1976: Cessna 150M (N45078), Waldron, MO, Substantial damage. Both aircraft practicing landings.N45078 landed on top of N1980V. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.