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20131125023389A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 150L · Bessemer, AL · November 25, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 25, 2013 · 11:40 local
Place
Bessemer, AL
Airport
N/A
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N16078
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA14LA048
Reported as
Cessna 150L
Reported engine
Continental 0-200 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
62 total62 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days
N16078Registration cancelled Sep 5, 2019 · Cessna 150LS/N 15073460 · Built 1972Airframe modelCessna 150LEngine 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.

On November 25, 2013, about 1115 central standard time, a Cessna 150L, N16078, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power near Bessemer, Alabama. The private pilot was not injured. The flight originated from courtland airport (9A4), courtland, Alabama, around 1000.

According to the pilot, the aircraft was unable to refuel due to the fact that the airport had sold out of 100LL aviation fuel. Prior to departure, the pilot attempted to determine the amount of fuel in the fuel tanks by using a measuring stick; but the measuring stick fell into the fuel tank. The pilot estimated that the airplane contained about 10 gallons of fuel prior to takeoff.

The pilot departed the airport and about 10 miles from the destination (eky) the engine began to "run rough." Carburetor heat was applied and the mixture was in the full rich position, and the engine began to "run better." Soon after, the engine lost total power, the pilot was unable to restart the engine, and a emergency landing was needed.

The wings impacted a telephone pole and a small tree. The left wing spar was substantially damaged.

During the recovery process a total of about a half gallon of fuel was removed from entire aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

ON NOVEMBER 25, 2013, ABOUT 1115 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 150L, N16078, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR BESSEMER, ALABAMA. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM COURTLAND AIRPORT (9A4), COURTLAND, ALABAMA, AROUND 1000.

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO REFUEL DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIRPORT HAD SOLD OUT OF 100LL AVIATION FUEL. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS BY USING A MEASURING STICK; BUT THE MEASURING STICK FELL INTO THE FUEL TANK. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRPLANE CONTAINED ABOUT 10 GALLONS OF FUEL PRIOR TO TAKEOFF.

THE PILOT DEPARTED THE AIRPORT AND ABOUT 10 MILES FROM THE DESTINATION (EKY) THE ENGINE BEGAN TO "RUN ROUGH." CARBURETOR HEAT WAS APPLIED AND THE MIXTURE WAS IN THE FULL RICH POSITION, AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO "RUN BETTER." SOON AFTER, THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE, AND A EMERGENCY LANDING WAS NEEDED.

THE WINGS IMPACTED A TELEPHONE POLE AND A SMALL TREE. THE LEFT WING SPAR WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.

DURING THE RECOVERY PROCESS A TOTAL OF ABOUT A HALF GALLON OF FUEL WAS REMOVED FROM ENTIRE AIRCRAFT.

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 ERA14LA048Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHopewell, ALA total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and preflight and inflight fuel planning that did not account for increased headwind.Nov 25, 2013 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N16078 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19760906029809AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Cambridge, MNSep 6, 1976 · Substantial damage