# NTSB CHI05CA144: Cessna 150M, N9327U, Marcelles, MI, June 16, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 16, 2005, 09:45 local (13:45 UTC) - Place: Marcelles, MI - Coordinates: 42.15139, -86.126388 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.1514&lon=-86.1264&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 13, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 61827 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI05CA144 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/61827/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI05CA144 ## Probable cause The total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the CFI's inadequate supervision and inadequate planning/decision. The student pilot's inadequate preflight planning was a contributing factor. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - aircraft preflight - inadequate, dual student (contributing factor) - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - in-flight planning/decision - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a field after a loss of engine power. The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that they had been flying for about one hour. The airplane was in cruise flight at 3,000 feet above mean sea level with the student pilot at the controls when the engine sputtered and quit. The CFI reported that he took control of the airplane and determined that the airplane was out of fuel. He executed a forced landing to a field. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the left fuel tank had about one gallon of fuel and the right tank was empty. The student pilot reported that he had conducted the preflight and walk-around of the airplane. The student pilot noticed that the airplane was low on fuel but failed to inform the CFI that the airplane needed fuel before takeoff. ## Factual narrative On June 16, 2005, at 0945 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N9327U, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a field near Marcelles, Michigan, after a loss of engine power. The certified flight instructor (CFI) received a serious injury, and the student pilot was not injured. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight departed Three Rivers Municipal Airport (HAI), Three Rivers, Michigan, on a local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed. The CFI reported that they had been flying for about one hour. The airplane was in cruise flight at 3,000 feet above mean sea level with the student pilot at the controls when the engine sputtered and quit. The CFI reported that he took control of the airplane and determined that the airplane was out of fuel. He executed a forced landing to a field. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the left fuel tank had about one gallon of fuel and the right tank was empty. The student pilot informed the FAA inspector that he had conducted the preflight and walk-around of the airplane. The student pilot noticed that the airplane was low on fuel but failed to inform the CFI that the airplane needed fuel before takeoff. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9327U](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9327U-2006-05-16), registration cancelled 2006-05-16, S/N 15078276, built 1976 (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: 15078276 - Engines: Continental O-200 reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Conrad Aero LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: HAI, Three Rivers, MI ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 50; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2; flight hours: 2,395 total, 1,400 in this make and model, 97 in the last 90 days, 54 in the last 30 days - Student pilot; age 19; student; medical: class 3; flight hours: 80 total, 42 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day ## 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 20050616013639A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050616013639A), Jun 16, 2005: Cessna 150M, Three Rivers, MI, Destroyed. (-23) During preflight the student pilot noticed fuel was low, student completed preflight and forgot to inform the instructor of the low fuel. CFI was also… 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.