- Date
- December 18, 1989, 14:32 local (20:32 UTC)
- Place
- Lacrosse, WI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N704NPCessna 150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891218051699A
- Case key
- 14606
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 student pilot's improper pre-flight planning/preparation, which did not include a plan to refuel the aircraft as necessary. The student pilot's lack of total experience contributed to this accident, as did the cfi's inadequate supervision of the student.
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 student pilot stated that shortly after initiating his descent to his destination airport, the engine started to run rough, and then quit. The student was unable to glide to the airport and executed a forced landing in a residential area. The aircraft collided with wires and trees during its emergency descent. Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed no evidence of useable fuel in the fuel tanks, and there was no indication of fuel spillage at the accident site. The student pilot stated that he had not refueled the aircraft before departing on this, the second leg of his solo cross country.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N704NP
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15078745
- Airframe hours
- 8,804
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Valley Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Valley Aviation, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 29, 1989 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- RFD · Rockford, IL
- Destination
- LSE · Lacrosse, WI
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 51 total · 33 in this make and model · 20 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 5 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LSE, 2 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.