- Date
- February 24, 1990, 21:30 local (Feb 25, 1990, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Leitchfield, KY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N45302Cessna 150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900224002899A
- Case key
- 8211
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
The pilot's inadequate preflight, in that he did not assure that both fuel tank filler caps were secure prior to flight.
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
About one hour into the flight, the pilot noticed that the fuel quantity in the right tank was dropping quicker than expected. A few minutes later, the engine quit. The airplane was force landed in a field, nosed over, and was substantially damaged. When the pilot inspected the aircraft after the accident, he noticed that the right fuel tank filler cap was missing. The pilot stated that he would be more closely aware of the tightness and correct installation of fuel caps in the future.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N45302
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15076832
- Airframe hours
- 2,036
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael J. Davis
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 23, 1989 · 47 hours before
- Departed
- UCY · Union City, TN
- Destination
- M20 · Leitchfield, KY
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 418 total · 396 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.