- Date
- December 22, 1988, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Benton Harbor, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N50331Cessna 150H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 16, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881222058449A
- Case key
- 14216
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 misjudged approach during the execution of an emergency landing resulting in an encounter with unsuitable terrain. Contributing factors are inaccurate fuel consumption calculations and fuel starvation due to contamination.
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
A total losss of engine power was experienced during cruise flt at 2,500 ft. the plt attempted and emergency landing in open field but struck several small trees short of point of intended landing. Tree impact sheared the nose gear and the acft impacted left wing down in an open field. Post accident investigation revealed no fuel in right tank, and 7/8 inch of fuel in left tank. A fuel sample from the left tank sump contained water and dirt. A carburetor sample contained water and dirt. The plt stated that he knew he was getting low on fuel and had planned to refuel at ross field, which was 3 miles from the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50331
- Reported as
- Cessna 150H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15069233
- Airframe hours
- 5,435
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tom Banaszak
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 20, 1988 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- GLR · Gaylord, MI
- Destination
- BEH · Benton Harbor, MI
- Airport
- BEH
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,950 total · 1,600 in this make and model · 1,790 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 19 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBN, 30 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.