What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
02/15/2020 Pilot flew from Wadsworth (3G3) to portage county airport (pov). Upon return to 3G3 the pilot stated he made one full stop landing and taxied back to the active runway. He then departed to stay in the pattern for another landing. During the final approach to runway 20 the engine lost power. Pilot attempted to restart the engine by ensuring the mixture was full in, fuel was on and magnetos checked. The aircraft was in a full flap configuration at about 500 feet AGL. The restart attempt was unsuccessful and the aircraft landed 300-400 feet short of runway 20 in a grassy area parallel to a north/ south running road. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the main landing gear and engine mounts. The sole occupant pilot was uninjured.
Pilot told first responders that he thought it could've been carburetor ice that caused the loss of power.
According to the pilot per the POH he had carburetor heat on during the approach.
The owner of the airplane arrived on scene prior to the aircraft being moved and was able to keep the engine running by "pumping the primer" but as soon as he stopped the pumping the engine stopped running.
The aircraft was moved to the maintenance facility on the airport.
We arrived at Wadsworth airport on 02/18/2020. The aircraft appeared to be leaning left wing down approximately 5-10 degrees. This was due to the damage done to the main landing gear with the left gear appearing to be bent back and up. The engine area and firewall were inspected. The engine mounts sustained multiple cracks along various welded spots.
The mechanic stated he was able to run the airplane fop about 10 minutes without issue. He then went to drain the fuel from both wing tanks. The right tank was almost dry. This was likely due to the airplane leaning left wing down and the fuel gravity fed from the high side to the low side. When the mechanic drained the left fuel tank he got about 2.5-3.0 gallons out of it. This fuel was drained into a 5 gallon container and checked for obvious contamination. No contamination was found.
The Cessna 150M manual states the total capacity of fuel for the standard range tanks is 26 us gallons (13 gallons per tank) with 22.5 gallons usable fuel.
The aircraft was fueled the day before this accident with 11.2 gallons and then flown about 4.3 hours total including the 3G3-POV-3G3 flight.
From the POH the fuel burn would've been 5 to 5.5 gallons per hour.
The fuel remaining would be very close or at the unusable fuel amount at the time of the final landing attempt.
This would've caused the engine to lose power during the maneuvering to landing.
As the FAA filed it
02/15/2020 PILOT FLEW FROM WADSWORTH (3G3) TO PORTAGE COUNTY AIRPORT (POV). UPON RETURN TO 3G3 THE PILOT STATED HE MADE ONE FULL STOP LANDING AND TAXIED BACK TO THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. HE THEN DEPARTED TO STAY IN THE PATTERN FOR ANOTHER LANDING. DURING THE FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 20 THE ENGINE LOST POWER. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BY ENSURING THE MIXTURE WAS FULL IN, FUEL WAS ON AND MAGNETOS CHECKED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A FULL FLAP CONFIGURATION AT ABOUT 500 FEET AGL. THE RESTART ATTEMPT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED 300-400 FEET SHORT OF RUNWAY 20 IN A GRASSY AREA PARALLEL TO A NORTH/ SOUTH RUNNING ROAD. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND ENGINE MOUNTS. THE SOLE OCCUPANT PILOT WAS UNINJURED.
PILOT TOLD FIRST RESPONDERS THAT HE THOUGHT IT COULD'VE BEEN CARBURETOR ICE THAT CAUSED THE LOSS OF POWER.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT PER THE POH HE HAD CARBURETOR HEAT ON DURING THE APPROACH.
THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE ARRIVED ON SCENE PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT BEING MOVED AND WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING BY "PUMPING THE PRIMER" BUT AS SOON AS HE STOPPED THE PUMPING THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY ON THE AIRPORT.
WE ARRIVED AT WADSWORTH AIRPORT ON 02/18/2020. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE LEANING LEFT WING DOWN APPROXIMATELY 5-10 DEGREES. THIS WAS DUE TO THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WITH THE LEFT GEAR APPEARING TO BE BENT BACK AND UP. THE ENGINE AREA AND FIREWALL WERE INSPECTED. THE ENGINE MOUNTS SUSTAINED MULTIPLE CRACKS ALONG VARIOUS WELDED SPOTS.
THE MECHANIC STATED HE WAS ABLE TO RUN THE AIRPLANE FOP ABOUT 10 MINUTES WITHOUT ISSUE. HE THEN WENT TO DRAIN THE FUEL FROM BOTH WING TANKS. THE RIGHT TANK WAS ALMOST DRY. THIS WAS LIKELY DUE TO THE AIRPLANE LEANING LEFT WING DOWN AND THE FUEL GRAVITY FED FROM THE HIGH SIDE TO THE LOW SIDE. WHEN THE MECHANIC DRAINED THE LEFT FUEL TANK HE GOT ABOUT 2.5-3.0 GALLONS OUT OF IT. THIS FUEL WAS DRAINED INTO A 5 GALLON CONTAINER AND CHECKED FOR OBVIOUS CONTAMINATION. NO CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND.
THE CESSNA 150M MANUAL STATES THE TOTAL CAPACITY OF FUEL FOR THE STANDARD RANGE TANKS IS 26 US GALLONS (13 GALLONS PER TANK) WITH 22.5 GALLONS USABLE FUEL.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED THE DAY BEFORE THIS ACCIDENT WITH 11.2 GALLONS AND THEN FLOWN ABOUT 4.3 HOURS TOTAL INCLUDING THE 3G3-POV-3G3 FLIGHT.
FROM THE POH THE FUEL BURN WOULD'VE BEEN 5 TO 5.5 GALLONS PER HOUR.
THE FUEL REMAINING WOULD BE VERY CLOSE OR AT THE UNUSABLE FUEL AMOUNT AT THE TIME OF THE FINAL LANDING ATTEMPT.
THIS WOULD'VE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER DURING THE MANEUVERING TO LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.