CHI94LA298

The airplane departed on a night VFR flight with full fuel tanks (22.5 gallons usable). The pilot climbed to 6500 feet MSL, and set 2350 RPM. After approximately 3.3 hours, in a descent to the destination airport, the engine stopped and would not restart. The airplane struck a house during the forced landing. Post crash inspection revealed no usable fuel on board, and no evidence of an in flight leak. The pilot stated he believed he improperly leaned the mixture, resulting in a higher than forecast fuel consumption.

On August 25, 1994, at 2215 hours central daylight time, a Cessna 150, N6307S, operated by James Mineer of Prestonsburg, Kentucky, impacted a residence 1/4 mile short of the Centralia Municipal Airport, Centralia, Illinois, and was substantially damaged. The instrument rated commercial pilot received minor injuries and no fire occurred. No injuries occurred to persons on the ground. Night visual meteorological condition existed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91 and originated from the Big Sandy Regional Airport, Prestonburg, Kentucky, at 1900 hours central daylight time.

The airplane was refueled with 16.1 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline and was described as "topped off" by servicing personnel at the Big Sandy Regional Airport the afternoon of August 25, 1994. Fuel capacity of the airplane was 26.0 gallons, of which 22.5 gallons is usable. The pilot reported that had climbed to 6,500 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL), and cruised at an engine power setting of 2,350 Revolutions Per Minute (RPM). His Global Positioning System (GPS) indicated a ground speed of 92 to 94 knots. The Cessna 150 cruise performance chart in the Pilot Operating Handbook indicates an estimated fuel burn of 4.0 gallons per hour at these settings when the fuel mixture is leaned to maximum RPM. The pilot stated that he must have improperly leaned the mixture, resulting in a higher than expected fuel consumption rate.

The pilot reported that the engine stopped while at 3,000 feet, 5 miles from the destination airport, he was unable to restart it and unsuccessfully attempted to glide to the airport. A witness on the ground, who was the chief instructor pilot for a flight school at the Centralia airport, reported hearing the impact but no engine sound.

Post crash inspection revealed 1 1/2 gallons of fuel remaining in the wing tanks, 1 pint of fuel in the belly strainer, no visible contaminants, and the fuel selector valve in the "ON" position. No fuel leakage was evident at the accident site. No evidence of fuel venting or leakage was found, and the fuel vents were unobstructed.