20030907022389A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 150F · Knox City, TX · September 7, 2003

Date: September 7, 2003 · 20:45 local
Place: Knox City, TX
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8158S
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW03LA219
Reported as: Cessna 150F
Reported engine: Continental O200A
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 74 total74 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

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) The student pilot departed Knox, city, Texas on a solo cross country flight to muleshoe, Texas with an intended (full) stop and then return to Knox City. The student pilot landed at muleshoe, did not refuel and then departed to Knox City. Enroute he deviated from his intended course because of thunderstorms and encountered a head wind. Approximately 25 miles out of Knox City the engine quit and the student pilot made an off airport landing resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft; left aft wing spar bent, nose gear collapsed, and there were no injuries to the student pilot. Investigation of the fuel system showed dry tanks and unreliable fuel gauges. The student pilot was properly endorsed for this cross-country solo.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED KNOX, CITY, TEXAS ON A SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO MULESHOE, TEXAS WITH AN INTENDED (FULL) STOP AND THEN RETURN TO KNOX CITY. THE STUDENT PILOT LANDED AT MULESHOE, DID NOT REFUEL AND THEN DEPARTED TO KNOX CITY. ENROUTE HE DEVIATED FROM HIS INTENDED COURSE BECAUSE OF THUNDERSTORMS AND ENCOUNTERED A HEAD WIND. APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES OUT OF KNOX CITY THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE STUDENT PILOT MADE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT; LEFT AFT WING SPAR BENT, NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE STUDENT PILOT. INVESTIGATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM SHOWED DRY TANKS AND UNRELIABLE FUEL GAUGES. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PROPERLY ENDORSED FOR THIS CROSS-COUNTRY SOLO.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW03LA219Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportKnox City, TXThe student pilot's inadequate flight planning/decision, resulting in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power. Contributing factors were the student pilot's failure to refuel the airplane and lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Sep 8, 2003 · Substantial damage