- Date
- March 19, 2011, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Garland, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N714FSCessna 150M
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110319005079A
- Case key
- 78653
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 improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 3
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
According to the pilot, the airplane lost engine power in-flight while en route to its destination. He performed a forced landing to a terraced field. He reported that there was sunlight, which blocked his detection of the terrace. The airplane's nose landing gear impacted the terrace, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. An on-scene examination of the wreckage revealed that there was no usable fuel in the fuel tanks.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he had 24 gallons of fuel on board when he departed. The airplane lost engine power in flight while en route to its destination, an approximate distance of 58 miles. The pilot performed a forced landing on a terraced field. The pilot reported that there was sunlight, which blocked his detection of the terrace. The airplane's nose landing gear impacted the terrace, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot's accident report indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane in reference to the accident flight. An on-scene examination of the wreckage revealed that there was no usable fuel remaining in the fuel tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N714FS
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15079147
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200 SERIES, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mesquite Aviation
- Registered owner
- Blevins Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GYI · Sherman, TX
- Destination
- HQZ · Mesquite, TX
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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 14, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 468 total · 259 in this make and model · 450 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 12 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 13 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ADS
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB 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.