# Accident 19991227036409A: Cessna 150H, Sinton, TX, December 27, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 27, 1999, 17:00 local time - Place: Sinton, TX - Airport: San Patricio County Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Touch And Go Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 28.0307° N, 97.5006° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.0307&lon=-97.5006&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7290S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7290S-2001-10-12) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 150H (registry code 2071818, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150h) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental 0-200 series (registry code 17020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150H - Reported engine: CONT O200A - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 141 total, 4 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW00LA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW00LA054) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991227036409A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON DECEMBER 27, 1999, AT 1700 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 150H, N7290S, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR SINTON, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY SKY PARK AVIATION, OF SINTON, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM THE SAN PATRICIO COUNTY AIRPORT, SINTON, TEXAS, AT 1610. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING THE PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION HE VISUALLY NOTED THAT EACH WING FUEL TANK WAS 1/2 FULL AND NOTED THAT THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES INDICATED 3/4 FULL. HE DEPARTED AND FLEW TO ARANSAS COUNTY AIRPORT, ROCKPORT, TEXAS, AND PERFORMED ONE TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING. HE THEN INITIATED A RETURN FLIGHT TO SINTON. DURING THE FLIGHT HE OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED 1/2 AND THE LEFT FUEL TANK QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED 3/4. WHEN HE ARRIVED AT SINTON HE PERFORMED A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING, AND DURING THE TAKEOFF, CLIMBING THROUGH 150 FEET, THE ENGINE "SPUTTERED AND QUIT." HE INITIATED A FORCED LANDING, MAKING A 180 DEGREE TURN TOWARD THE AIRPORT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN TALL GRASS AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT, 800 FEET SHORT OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 14. AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AND REPORTED THAT THE RIGHT WING SPAR WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED, THE FUSELAGE WAS "SPLIT," AND THE NOSE GEAR WAS COLLAPSED. (-23)DURING A TOUCH AND GO THE AIRPLANE LOST POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE 180 DEGREE BACK TO THE RUNWAY. THE A/C STRUCK THE GROUND SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. FUEL TANKS WERE VISUALLY CHECKED: THE LH FUEL TANK INDICATED EMPTY AND RH TANK INDICATED 3/4 INCH ON A STICK. FUEL GAUGES INDICATED ZERO ON THE LH AND 3/4 ON RH FUEL GAUGE. THE A/C SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR AND RH MAIN LANDING GEAR, LH WING TIP, AND RH WING SPAR. THE FUSELAGE RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE RH AND LH SIDES. THE RH SIDE HAD SHEARED RIVETS ALONG THE FUSELAGE AND THE LH SIDE HAD INDICATIONS OF PENDING SHEAR. THE TAIL TIE-DOWN LOOP WAS RIPPED OUT. (.4)DURING THE PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION, THE PILOT VISUALLY NOTED EACH WING FUEL TANK WAS 1/2 FULL AND THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES INDICATED 3/4 FULL. THE PILOT FLEW TO AN AIRPORT 27 NAUTICAL MILES AWAY, AND PERFORMED ONE TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING. DURING THE RETURN FLIGHT, THE PILOT OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED 1/4 FULL AND THE LEFT FUEL TANK QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED 3/4 FULL. UPON ARRIVAL, THE PILOT PERFORMED A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING ON RUNWAY 32, AND DURING THE TAKEOFF, CLIMBING THROUGH 300 FEET, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING, AND ATTEMPTED A 180 DEGREE TURN TOWARD THE AIRPORT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, WENT OVER A GRAVEL ROAD AND STOPPED IN A DITCH, 750 FEET SHORT OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 14. THE OPERATOR DRAINED THE REMAINING FUEL OUT OF BOTH FUEL TANK SUMP DRAINS, FOR A TOTAL OF 1 3/4 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE UNUSABLE FUEL QUANTITY OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRPLANE IS 3.5 GALLONS. ## 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 FTW00LA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW00LA054), Dec 27, 1999: Cessna 150H (N7290S), Sinton, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to refuel the airplane, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. 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.