- Date
- January 8, 2003, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Garner, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N60834Cessna 150J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA- Des Moines, Iowa FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030108000619A
- Case key
- 56316
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 students pilots improper in-flight fuel planning resulting in exhaustion of the fuel supply, and the collapse of the nose gear during the forced landing. Factors were unsuitable landing are encountered by the pilot, the plowed field and the fuel exhaustion.
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 nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over during a forced landing to a plowed field. The pilot reported the engine had stopped due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot stated that he could have watched his fuel consumption better.
Factual narrative
On January 8, 2003, at 1230 central standard time, a Cessna 150J, N60834, piloted by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing, near Garner, Iowa, following a loss of engine power while in cruise flight. The nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over during the landing attempt. The student pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight departed from Fairfield Municipal Airport (FFL), Fairfield, Iowa about 0730.
The pilot reported being low on fuel "at his point of crossing [near] Mason City, Iowa." The pilot recalled looking for a grass airfield outside of Mason City's airspace, but noted that he couldn't locate one. The pilot reported that the engine stopped due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot further reported he stalled the aircraft about 300 feet above the ground while on downwind for a roadway landing. The pilot reported that he recovered from the stall and touched down "as lightly as possible" on a plowed field. The airplane's nose landing gear impacted the terrain and collapsed. The airplane subsequently nosed over. The pilot reported that he could have watched his fuel consumption better.
The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with regard to the airplane, engine, or related systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60834
- Reported as
- Cessna 150J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15070609
- Airframe hours
- 4,400
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2001 · 300 hours before
- Departed
- FFL · Fairfield, IA
- Destination
- SBU · Blue Earth, MN
- Airport
- N/A
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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 28 total · 13 in this make and model · 28 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 23 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.54 inHg
- Observed at
- MCW
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 30, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 386 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.