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20180203006129A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 150J · El Dorado, KS · February 3, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 3, 2018 · 19:06 local
Place
El Dorado, KS
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N61024
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA18CA124
Reported as
Cessna 150J
Reported engine
Continental 0-200 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
95 total80 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days
N61024Registration cancelled Dec 12, 2018 · Cessna 150JS/N 15070742 · Built 1969Airframe modelCessna 150JEngine 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.

Aircraft N61024 was flown from westport airport, wichita, KS to lawrence municipal airport, lawrence, KS and then was enroute, VFR night; back to westport airport when wichita tower received a mayday call from the aircraft. Wichita ATC was unable to contact the aircraft after the mayday call was received. According to the pilot, the aircraft engine lost power and an engine restart was attempted without success. Pilot performed an off-airport emergency landing in a cultivated field approximately 14 miles northeast of El Dorado airport, El Dorado, KS. The nose wheel was damaged and separated from the aircraft during landing, causing the aircraft to flip and come to rest upside down. The empenage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder were damaged. Pilot and passenger were not injured.

The aircraft was set back upright. Primary flight control continuity was verified. Inspection of the aircraft found approximately 3/4 of a gallon of fuel drained from the right wing and approximately 8 ounces drained from the left wing. Approximately 4 ounces of fuel was drained from the gascolator. The accident site did not show any indications of a fuel leak and first responders reported no smell of fuel. Investigation of the engine found that all cylinders are producing compression, both magnetos are producing spark to all cylinders except the upper number 3 lead did not spark, and valve train operation was visually verified.

Fuel records from the owner indicate that the aircraft was fueled with 17.7 gallons of 100LL on February 03, 2018 prior to take off from westport airport, wichita, KS. The pilot annotated that no fuel was added after the aircraft left westport airport. Aircraft owner records and hobbs meter at the time of the accident indicate aircraft was flown for a total of 3.6 hours on February 03, 2018.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT N61024 WAS FLOWN FROM WESTPORT AIRPORT, WICHITA, KS TO LAWRENCE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LAWRENCE, KS AND THEN WAS ENROUTE, VFR NIGHT; BACK TO WESTPORT AIRPORT WHEN WICHITA TOWER RECEIVED A MAYDAY CALL FROM THE AIRCRAFT. WICHITA ATC WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE MAYDAY CALL WAS RECEIVED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE LOST POWER AND AN ENGINE RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED WITHOUT SUCCESS. PILOT PERFORMED AN OFF-AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING IN A CULTIVATED FIELD APPROXIMATELY 14 MILES NORTHEAST OF EL DORADO AIRPORT, EL DORADO, KS. THE NOSE WHEEL WAS DAMAGED AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT DURING LANDING, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP AND COME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. THE EMPENAGE, VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND RUDDER WERE DAMAGED. PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS SET BACK UPRIGHT. PRIMARY FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS VERIFIED. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF A GALLON OF FUEL DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT WING AND APPROXIMATELY 8 OUNCES DRAINED FROM THE LEFT WING. APPROXIMATELY 4 OUNCES OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE GASCOLATOR. THE ACCIDENT SITE DID NOT SHOW ANY INDICATIONS OF A FUEL LEAK AND FIRST RESPONDERS REPORTED NO SMELL OF FUEL. INVESTIGATION OF THE ENGINE FOUND THAT ALL CYLINDERS ARE PRODUCING COMPRESSION, BOTH MAGNETOS ARE PRODUCING SPARK TO ALL CYLINDERS EXCEPT THE UPPER NUMBER 3 LEAD DID NOT SPARK, AND VALVE TRAIN OPERATION WAS VISUALLY VERIFIED.

FUEL RECORDS FROM THE OWNER INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED WITH 17.7 GALLONS OF 100LL ON FEBRUARY 03, 2018 PRIOR TO TAKE OFF FROM WESTPORT AIRPORT, WICHITA, KS. THE PILOT ANNOTATED THAT NO FUEL WAS ADDED AFTER THE AIRCRAFT LEFT WESTPORT AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT OWNER RECORDS AND HOBBS METER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT INDICATE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN FOR A TOTAL OF 3.6 HOURS ON FEBRUARY 03, 2018.

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 GAA18CA124Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportEl Dorado, KSThe pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent off-airport landing and nose-over.Feb 4, 2018 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N61024 · 1

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

Accident 19800810035029ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Horton, KSLanded downwind by mistake. Ran off end of runway through a fence and nosed over.Aug 10, 1980 · Substantial damage