ATL95LA136

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150F · Russellville, AL · July 15, 1995

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
July 15, 1995, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
Place
Russellville, AL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Maneuvering
Aircraft
N8085FCessna 150F
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report February 14, 1996
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19950715018729A
Case key
3596

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to properly plan enough fuel for the solo cross country flight. A factor was the terrain.

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.

Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanicalManeuvering
Fluid,fuel - exhaustionCause
Preflight planning/preparation - inadequatePilot in commandCause
Forced landingDescent - emergency
Nose overLanding - roll
Terrain condition - bermFactor

Analysis

While conducting a solo cross country flight, the student pilot became disoriented. He established radio contact with flight service, and reported that he had less than one fourth of a tank of fuel. Four minutes after establishing radio contact, the student pilot reported that the engine had quit. He then selected a field and made a forced landing. The airplane nosed over during the landing roll after it collided with a berm. According to the student pilot's flight log, he flew five hours without an en route refueling stop. The normal fuel endurance for this airplane is approximately four hours.

Factual narrative

On July 15, 1995, at 1145 central daylight time, a Cessna 150F, N8085F, collided with a berm during rollout following a forced landing near Russellville, Alabama. The solo cross country flight operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 with a flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the student pilot was not injured. The flight departed Lafayette, Georgia, at 0745 eastern daylight time.

According to the student pilot, he became disoriented during the solo cross country flight. The pilot requested directional finding assistance from a local airport control tower; during the directional finding process, the airplane ran out of fuel, and the engine quit. The student selected a nearby open field for an emergency landing. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a berm and nosed over.

According to the student pilot's flight log, he had flown five hours without a planned enroute fuel stop. The Cessna 150 has an approximate fuel endurance of four hours. No mechanical problems were reported with the airplane.

Aircraft

Registration
N8085F
Reported as
Cessna 150F
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15064185
Airframe hours
1,949
Engine
Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner
Pigeon Mountain Flying Service
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · June 30, 1995
Departed
9A5 · Lafayette, GA
Destination
MSL · Muscle Shoals, AL
Flight plan
VFR

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
40
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
40 total · 40 in this make and model · 21 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
330° at 4 knots
Visibility
7 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
91 °F, dew point 72 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
MSL, 18 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.