- Date
- February 11, 1990, 10:35 local (16:35 UTC)
- Place
- Atmore, AL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N90093Cessna 120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900211001949A
- Case key
- 8206
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Fuel starvation due to an inadequate preflight and improper positioning of the fuel selector. A factor related to the accident was: rough terrain in the emergency landing area.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Shortly after lift-off, the pilot-in-command (in the right seat) noted that the selected fuel tank had a low level of fuel. He instructed his son (a student pilot in the left seat) to move the fuel selector to the other tank. The selector was positioned to an empty tank & the eng lost power. Subsequently, the acft was damaged during a forced landing in a corn field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90093
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 9154
- Airframe hours
- 4,800
- Engine
- Continental C-85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael D. Godwin
- Registered owner
- Godwin, Michael D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 30, 1989 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- ATM
- Airport
- 0R1 · Atmore Muni, runway 36, 4,925 × 80 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 450 total · 25 in this make and model · 400 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 1 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.