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19991017036009I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 150H · Tacoma, WA · October 17, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 17, 1999 · 16:07 local
Place
Tacoma, WA
Airport
Tacoma Naarrows Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N22629
Reported as
Cessna 150H
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,102 total200 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N22629Registration cancelled Nov 8, 2002 · Cessna 150HS/N 15068413 · Built 1968Airframe modelCessna 150HEngine modelContinental 0-200 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) Pilot had planned a flight from Tacoma narrows airport to manzanita or and return. He stated he had simulated the flight on his home computer and estimated a round trip flight time of 2 hours 30 minutes. The pilot stated he conducted a pre-flight inspection of the aircraft, noting that the fuel gauges indicated full. However, a ladder was not available and he did not visually check fuel quantity. The flight was uneventful with the exception that the pilot observed the fuel gauges were split, the right tank indicating 1/2 tank more than the left. The engine failed about 3 mintes from Tacoma narrows airport. The left fuel gauge read almost empty and the right fuel gauge read 1/2 tank. The pilot attempted a restart without success. He attempted to glide to the airport; however, was unable to do so and landed in the water parallel to the shorline. The aircraft flipped over after contact with the waster and sank in about 3-4 feet of water. Upon recovering of the aircraft, the fuel tanks contained less than a gallon of fuel.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT HAD PLANNED A FLIGHT FROM TACOMA NARROWS AIRPORT TO MANZANITA OR AND RETURN. HE STATED HE HAD SIMULATED THE FLIGHT ON HIS HOME COMPUTER AND ESTIMATED A ROUND TRIP FLIGHT TIME OF 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES. THE PILOT STATED HE CONDUCTED A PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, NOTING THAT THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED FULL. HOWEVER, A LADDER WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND HE DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK FUEL QUANTITY. THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT THE PILOT OBSERVED THE FUEL GAUGES WERE SPLIT, THE RIGHT TANK INDICATING 1/2 TANK MORE THAN THE LEFT. THE ENGINE FAILED ABOUT 3 MINTES FROM TACOMA NARROWS AIRPORT. THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE READ ALMOST EMPTY AND THE RIGHT FUEL GAUGE READ 1/2 TANK. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A RESTART WITHOUT SUCCESS. HE ATTEMPTED TO GLIDE TO THE AIRPORT; HOWEVER, WAS UNABLE TO DO SO AND LANDED IN THE WATER PARALLEL TO THE SHORLINE. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER AFTER CONTACT WITH THE WASTER AND SANK IN ABOUT 3-4 FEET OF WATER. UPON RECOVERING OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE FUEL TANKS CONTAINED LESS THAN A GALLON OF FUEL.