20170518004959I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 150M · Ft Lauderdale, FL · May 18, 2017

Date
May 18, 2017 · 20:31 local
Place
Ft Lauderdale, FL
Airport
Ft Lauderdale International
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N63157
Reported as
Cessna 150M
Reported engine
Continental 0-200 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
97 total75 in this make and model75 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.

According to the PIC, the flight departed gnv on 5/18/17 at approximately 1330 LCL for fll with full fuel (22.5 useable). I verified from the university air center at gns that the aircraft took on 20.1 gallons of fuel just prior to the may 18th flight to fll. Weather was VFR and pilot indicated that strong winds were a not a factor during the flight. The flight was 2.9 hours in duration. Pilot indicated that proper and thorough flight planning was conducted prior to the flight using the foreflight flight planning app. According to the PIC, with full fuel the aircraft should have enough fuel to land with approximately 1.5 hours of fuel remaining after this flight. Normal engine leaning procedures were performed during cruise and decent. PIC reported that no unusual engine operations were noticed during entire flight and engine produced normal power. PIC also indicated that there was no evidence of a fuel leak any where on the aircraft. Upon arrival at fll the pilot reported rough running engine at approximately 14 mile final, applied carb heat and increased mixture to full rich. At approximately 2 mile final to runway 10R the engine quit due to fuel exhaustion. Pilot declared an emergency with fll tower at this point and opted to land on rw 10L due to the closer proximity to the aircraft at that point. Aircraft was able to taxi clear of the runway. No aircraft damage was sustained. After the incident pilot refueled the aircraft with 22.5 gal of fuel, indicating that the fuel tanks were completely empty.

I spoke with privacy data omitted (owner of N63157) about the incident. privacy data omitted Was onboard as a passenger for this flight, but was not PIC. privacy data omitted Indicated to me that, after the incident, he had the engine/carburator inspected by an A&P mechanic for possible faulty carburetor and he also installed a fuel totalizer for more accurate fuel burn information for future flights. privacy data omitted Emailed to me the engine logbook page indicating the carburator inspection, fuel system indication calibration and replacement of both wing fuel caps, all was signed off by an A&P mechanic.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO THE PIC, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED GNV ON 5/18/17 AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 LCL FOR FLL WITH FULL FUEL (22.5 USEABLE). I VERIFIED FROM THE UNIVERSITY AIR CENTER AT GNS THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOOK ON 20.1 GALLONS OF FUEL JUST PRIOR TO THE MAY 18TH FLIGHT TO FLL. WEATHER WAS VFR AND PILOT INDICATED THAT STRONG WINDS WERE A NOT A FACTOR DURING THE FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT WAS 2.9 HOURS IN DURATION. PILOT INDICATED THAT PROPER AND THOROUGH FLIGHT PLANNING WAS CONDUCTED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT USING THE FOREFLIGHT FLIGHT PLANNING APP. ACCORDING TO THE PIC, WITH FULL FUEL THE AIRCRAFT SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO LAND WITH APPROXIMATELY 1.5 HOURS OF FUEL REMAINING AFTER THIS FLIGHT. NORMAL ENGINE LEANING PROCEDURES WERE PERFORMED DURING CRUISE AND DECENT. PIC REPORTED THAT NO UNUSUAL ENGINE OPERATIONS WERE NOTICED DURING ENTIRE FLIGHT AND ENGINE PRODUCED NORMAL POWER. PIC ALSO INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A FUEL LEAK ANY WHERE ON THE AIRCRAFT. UPON ARRIVAL AT FLL THE PILOT REPORTED ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE AT APPROXIMATELY 14 MILE FINAL, APPLIED CARB HEAT AND INCREASED MIXTURE TO FULL RICH. AT APPROXIMATELY 2 MILE FINAL TO RUNWAY 10R THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH FLL TOWER AT THIS POINT AND OPTED TO LAND ON RW 10L DUE TO THE CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE AIRCRAFT AT THAT POINT. AIRCRAFT WAS ABLE TO TAXI CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY. NO AIRCRAFT DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED. AFTER THE INCIDENT PILOT REFUELED THE AIRCRAFT WITH 22.5 GAL OF FUEL, INDICATING THAT THE FUEL TANKS WERE COMPLETELY EMPTY.

I SPOKE WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (OWNER OF N63157) ABOUT THE INCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ONBOARD AS A PASSENGER FOR THIS FLIGHT, BUT WAS NOT PIC. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INDICATED TO ME THAT, AFTER THE INCIDENT, HE HAD THE ENGINE/CARBURATOR INSPECTED BY AN A&P MECHANIC FOR POSSIBLE FAULTY CARBURETOR AND HE ALSO INSTALLED A FUEL TOTALIZER FOR MORE ACCURATE FUEL BURN INFORMATION FOR FUTURE FLIGHTS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EMAILED TO ME THE ENGINE LOGBOOK PAGE INDICATING THE CARBURATOR INSPECTION, FUEL SYSTEM INDICATION CALIBRATION AND REPLACEMENT OF BOTH WING FUEL CAPS, ALL WAS SIGNED OFF BY AN A&P MECHANIC.