# NTSB DFW06CA045: Cessna 150L, N18132, Tulsa, OK, January 1, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: December 31, 2005, 19:36 local (Jan 1, 2006, 01:36 UTC) - Place: Tulsa, OK - Coordinates: 36.192222, -95.886108 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.1922&lon=-95.8861&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report April 25, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 63020 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DFW06CA045 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/63020/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW06CA045 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper preflight planning and preparation, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - fuel consumption calculations - inaccurate, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - In flight collision with object, emergency landing - object - tree(s) ## Analysis The 519-hour private pilot departed on a 307-nautical mile round-robin cross country flight in a single-engine airplane. During the return flight, the pilot elected to land at an intermediate airport to purchase additional fuel; however, it was a national holiday and no one answered his repeated calls to the "after-hours" phone number. The pilot then asked another pilot where the closest airport was located so he could purchase fuel, and was informed of an airport about 20 miles away. The pilot proceeded to fly towards that airport but was unable to make radio contact with someone at the fixed base operator (FBO) to help him purchase additional fuel. The pilot then elected to fly to much larger airport about 34.4 nautical miles beyond his position, where he knew he could purchase fuel. The pilot stated that he encountered a significant headwind, but calculated that he had sufficient fuel on-board to complete the flight. When the airplane was established on final approach, the engine stopped producing power and the airplane impacted trees and terrain about a mile short of the runway. Examination of the airplane's fuel system revealed there was 1.5 gallons of fuel onboard at the time of the accident. ## Factual narrative The 519-hour private pilot departed on a 307-nautical mile round-robin cross country flight in a single-engine airplane. During the return flight, the pilot elected to land at an intermediate airport to purchase additional fuel; however, it was a national holiday and no one answered his repeated calls to the "after-hours" phone number. The pilot then asked another pilot where the closest airport was located so he could purchase fuel, and was informed of an airport about 20 miles away. The pilot proceeded to fly towards that airport but was unable to make radio contact with someone at the fixed base operator (FBO) to help him purchase additional fuel. The pilot then elected to fly to much larger airport about 34.4 nautical miles beyond his position, where he knew he could purchase fuel. The pilot stated that he encountered a significant headwind, but calculated that he had sufficient fuel on-board to complete the flight. When the airplane was established on final approach, the engine stopped producing power and the airplane impacted trees and terrain about a mile short of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed there was 1.5 gallons of fuel onboard at the time of the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N18132](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N18132-2014-09-10), registration cancelled 2014-09-10, S/N 15073810, built 1972 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 150L - Registry model: [Cessna 150L](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150l) (registry code 2071826) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15073810 - Engines: Continental O-200 reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Prairie Air Service Inc - Registered owner: Prairie Air Service - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: BVO, Bartlesville, OK - Destination: TUL, Tulsa, OK - Airport: TUL, Tulsa International, runway 18 ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 54; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3; flight hours: 519 total, 100 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night ## 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 20051231029819A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20051231029819A), Dec 31, 2005: Cessna 150L, Tulsa, OK, Substantial damage. (-23) Holiday weekend, departed little rock, ar for wichita, KS, landed at independence, KS to refuel, but was unable to get fuel. Took back off and attempted… 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.