- Date
- December 26, 2011, 10:21 local (14:21 UTC)
- Place
- Knoxville, TN
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N22565Cessna 150H
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111226029139A
- Case key
- 82567
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 pilot's inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, about 300 feet above ground level, a total engine power loss occurred. The pilot attempted to restart the engine unsuccessfully and performed a forced landing into trees. The wings and fuselage of the airplane were substantially damaged. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel tanks remained intact and were not breached and that each tank contained about 2 gallons of fuel. The airplane was equipped with two 19-gallon wing tanks with a total fuel capacity of 38 gallons, of which 35 gallons were usable. Examination of the engine revealed that no fuel was present in the fuel lines or the fuel separator. There was no evidence of preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, about 300 feet above ground level, a total engine power loss occurred. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine and performed a forced landing into trees. The wings and fuselage of the airplane were substantially damaged. A subsequent examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the fuel tanks remained intact and were not breached, and contained about two gallons of fuel in each tank. The airplane was equipped with two 19-gallon wing tanks with a total fuel capacity of 38 gallons; of which, 35 gallons are usable. Further examination of the engine revealed that there was no fuel present in the fuel lines or the fuel separator on the engine. The inspector found no preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22565
- Reported as
- Cessna 150H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15068366
- Airframe hours
- 4,668
- Engine
- Cont Motor 0-200 SERIES, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sanders John B DBA
- Registered owner
- Sanders John B DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 4, 2011
- Departed
- NONE · Knoxville, TN
- Destination
- TN98 · Knoxville, TN
- Airport
- NONE · Sanders Field
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
- 59
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 8, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 15,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Observed at
- TYS, 7 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 31, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.