- Date
- April 30, 1994, 19:48 local (23:48 UTC)
- Place
- Hollis, NH
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5907GCessna 150K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940430010459A
- Case key
- 8922
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 inspection which failed to detect contaminated fuel which resulted in fuel starvation.
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
The pilot was on approach, 3 miles from the airport, when the engine lost power. He attempted to do a forced landing in a field, but struck trees short of it. Examination of the airplane revealed contaminated fuel throughout the fuel system from the tanks to the carburetor.
Factual narrative
On April 30, 1994, at 1948 hours eastern daylight time, N5907G, a Cessna 150, operated by the owner/pilot, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Hollis, New Hampshire. The forced landing followed a loss of engine power. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91. The departure point was Nashua, New Hampshire.
The pilot after practicing some manuevers and doing a practiced landing at Hillsboro, New Hampshire was returning to Nashua to land at Boire Field Airport when the engine lost power. He tried to do a forced landing in a field, but the airplane struck trees and descended to the ground.
According to the pilot, he was doing a straight-in approach to runway 14. The airplane was in a descent and the engine power was set at 2100 rpm. About three miles from the airport, the power loss occurred. The pilot stated he headed toward a field bordered by trees to do a forced landing. The pilot realized that he would not reach the field, so he headed toward and between two trees. The wings struck the trees and the airplane descended to the ground.
FAA examination of the airplane revealed "foreign matter contamination" in the fuel system at tanks, belly fuel drain fitting, fuel strainer\bowl, and carburetor float chamber.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5907G
- Reported as
- Cessna 150K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 150-71407
- Airframe hours
- 4,591
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Whitney, Eric N.
- Registered owner
- Whitney, Eric
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 15, 1993 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- 8B1 · Hillsboro, NH
- Destination
- ASH · Nashua, NH
- Airport
- ASH · Boire Field
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 102 total · 101 in this make and model · 37 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ASH, 3 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.
Other investigations on N5907G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.