# NTSB CHI00LA159: Cessna 150M, N66081, Bethalto, IL, June 11, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 11, 2000, 10:35 local (15:35 UTC) - Place: Bethalto, IL - Coordinates: 38.899868, -90.039916 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8999&lon=-90.0399&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 8, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 49425 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI00LA159 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/49425/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI00LA159 ## Probable cause the improper in-flight decision of the pilot to fly past the Vandalia airport onto Saint Louis Regional and the fuel exhaustion. A factor was the ditch. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - in-flight planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - Nose over, emergency landing - terrain condition - ditch (contributing factor) ## Analysis N66081 was destroyed when it nosed over on impact with a ditch during a forced landing following an in-flight loss of engine power. The pilot was uninjured. The pilot said, 'I preflighted the airplane at 6:45 a.m. and checked fuel prior to take off from I34. The airplanes was fueled the day prior and flown .5 hrs or less.' The pilot stated, 'While enroute to (K39) St.Clair Regional I decided to stop at (VLA) Vandalia, IL for a weather update and restroom break. ... Vandalia had 2 parachutists under canopy and two more jumping in less that 2 minutes. The traffic pattern was full as well so I decided to fly northeast to St. Louis Regional - get fuel and a weather briefing. After getting clearance to land and setting up for pattern entry and starting to level off from descent to traffic pattern altitude the engine quit running. I radioed the tower and squacked 7700 on the x-ponder. After all emergency procedures failed to start the engine I made an off field landing in a soy bean field. The aircraft struck a ditch and flipped over destroying aircraft.' Reported flight time for the accident flight was three and a half hours. A FAA on-scene examination revealed no anomalies. Approximately one half gallon of fluid was found on the ground around each of the fuel tank's cap vent areas. A Cessna 150 performance-specification page stated, 'RANGE: Cruise, ... 22.5 Gallons, No Reserve ... 4.1 hrs.' ## Factual narrative On June 11, 2000, about 1035 central daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N66081, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed when it nosed over on impact with a ditch during a forced landing following an in-flight loss of engine power near Bethalto, Illinois. The personal flight was on a visual flight rules flight plan and was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot was uninjured. The flight originated at 0705 from Greensburg, Decatur County Airport near Greensburg, Indiana, and was destined for St. Clair Regional Airport near St. Clair, Missouri. In a written statement the pilot said, "I preflighted the airplane at 6:45 a.m. and checked fuel prior to take off from I34. The airplane was fueled the day prior and flown .5 hrs or less." The pilot further stated, "While enroute to (K39) St.Clair Regional I decided to stop at (VLA) Vandalia, IL for a weather update and restroom break. I had noticed that the weather to the southwest was developing thunder clouds, and I would want to fly north of them because the were moving northeast. Vandalia had 2 parachutists under canopy and two more jumping in less that 2 minutes. The traffic pattern was full as well so I decided to fly northeast to St. Louis Regional - get fuel and a weather briefing. After getting clearance to land and setting up for pattern entry and starting to level off from descent to traffic pattern altitude the engine quit running. I radioed the tower and squacked 7700 on the x-ponder. After all emergency procedures failed to start the engine I made an off field landing in a soy bean field. The aircraft struck a ditch and flipped over destroying aircraft." The Saint Louis Regional Airport daily record of facitility operation log remarks was that the pilot of "...N66081, C150, notified twr out of gas making off airport emergency landing, sqk 7700, ... ." The Decatur County Airport's manager stated, "[The pilot] put a total of 17.4 gal. 100LL in his tank's. ... He never re-fueled to my knowledge before he left sometime 6/11/2000." A Federal Aviation Administration inspector performed an on-scene examination of the wreckage. The exam revealed no anomalies. The inspector stated that approximately one half gallon of fluid was found on the ground about each of the fuel tanks cap vent areas. A manual covering the Cessna 150M model was reviewed. The performance-specification page stated, "RANGE: Cruise, 75% Power at 7000 Ft ... 500 mi ... 22.5 Gallons, No Reserve ... 4.1 hrs." See appended performance-specification page. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N66081](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N66081-2012-04-25), registration cancelled 2012-04-25, S/N 15075821, built 1974 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 150M - Registry model: [Cessna 150M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150m) (registry code 2071830) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15075821 - Airframe hours: 4850 - Engines: Continental O-200-A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Glen W. Heath - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Annual, May 25, 2000, 8 hours before - Departed: I34, GREENSBURG, IN - Destination: K39, ST CLAIR, MO - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: ALN, St Louis Regional Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 160 total, 47 in this make and model, 105 as pilot in command, 26 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 220° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 7,500 ft broken - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: ALN, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20000611012369A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000611012369A), Jun 11, 2000: Cessna 150M, Alton/St Louis, IL, No damage. (-23) Pilot stated he had refueld the a/c on 6/10/00 and then flew the a/c on a local flight from green berg Indiana (134) and did not refuel the a/c after the… ## Other investigations on N66081 (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW93LA224](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW93LA224), Aug 1, 1993: Cessna 150M (N66081), Bald Knob, AR, substantial damage. Probable cause: FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REFUEL. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.