- Date
- January 5, 2010, 17:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Brownstown, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N10401Cessna 150L
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report March 23, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-SPI-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100105025629A
- Case key
- 75243
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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the student pilot becoming lost/disoriented in flight.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot stated that he was given a clearance to climb out to the west after taking off on the last leg of a three-leg cross-country flight. He departed at 3:35 local time, with 26 gallons of fuel on board. He stated that by the time he was able to turn onto his course heading he was off his planned route of flight. He reported that the haze and setting sun made it difficult to see and that he was not able to locate his checkpoints to get back on course. After flying around in order to attempt to identify his visual checkpoints, the engine experienced fuel exhaustion and the pilot performed an off-airport landing to a dark area in the terrain; however, the field was short and the airplane contacted trees and nosed over during the landing flare. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Factual narrative
The student pilot stated he was given a clearance to climb out to the west after taking off on the last leg of a three-leg cross country flight. He stated that by the time he was able to turn onto his course heading, he was off his planned route of flight. He stated that the haze and setting sun made it difficult to see, and he was not able to locate his checkpoints to get back on course. The pilot stated that while he was getting help from his flight instructor, the engine experienced fuel exhaustion and he performed an off airport landing. He stated he chose a dark area in the terrain on which to land; however, the field was short and the airplane contacted trees and nosed over during the landing flare. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N10401
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15074845
- Airframe hours
- 5,726
- Engine
- Cont Motor 0-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Cuvar Philip M
- Registered owner
- Cuvar Philip M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 3, 2009 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- DEC · Decatur, IL
- Destination
- 3LF · Litchfield, IL
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 73
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 73 total · 16 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 19 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
- Observed at
- ENL, 32 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 499 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.