# NTSB FTW03LA107: Cessna 150K, N6066G, Sherman, TX, March 9, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 9, 2003, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC) - Place: Sherman, TX - Coordinates: 33.624168, -96.586112 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6242&lon=-96.5861&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 23, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 56597 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW03LA107 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56597/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA107 ## Probable cause The flight instructor's failure to refuel the airplane which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, approach - aircraft preflight - not performed, pilot in command(cfi) - refueling - not performed, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - fuel system - exhaustion (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - On ground/water collision with object, landing - object - other - terrain condition - none suitable (contributing factor) ## Analysis Prior to the flight, the student pilot preflighted the airplane and determined the fuel tanks contained approximately 7 1/2 gallons, or 1 hour and 15 mintues of fuel. The flight instructor reported that when he arrived at the airport, the student pilot had already completed the airplane preflight, and subsequently, the flight instructor did not preflight the airplane. The flight instructor and student pilot then decided that they would stop at an airport for fuel before continuning with the instructional flight. The departure airport did not have fuel service available. Approximately 20 minutes into the flight, and 3 miles south of the refueling airport, the engine lost total power. During a forced landing, the airplane struck a culvert and came to rest upright. No evidence of fuel was found in the fuel tanks at the accident site. ## Factual narrative On March 9, 2003, approximately 1530 central standard time, a Cessna 150K single-engine airplane, N6066G, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a pasture following a loss of engine power during the approach to the Sherman Municipal Airport (SWI) near Sherman, Texas. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the student pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The local flight departed the Aero Country Airport (TX05), McKinney, Texas, at 1520, with a planned fuel stop at SWI. The student pilot reported that prior to the flight, he preflighted the airplane, in which he checked the fuel tanks with a measuring stick. He determined that the right tank contained approximately 1" of fuel, the left tank contained approximately 1 1/4" of fuel, which equated to approximately 7 1/2 gallons, or 1 hour and 15 mintues of fuel. The flight instructor reported that when he arrived at the airport, the student pilot had already completed the airplane preflight. Subsequently, the flight instructor did not preflight the airplane; however, "quizzed [the student pilot] on fuel and oil quantities." The flight instructor and student pilot then decided that they would stop at SWI for fuel, before continuning with the instructional flight (SWI is located 26 nautical miles north-northwest of TX05). TX05 did not have fuel service available. The flight instructor added that the engine run-up and departure were normal. Approximately 20 minutes into the flight, 3 miles south of SWI, and at 1,500 feet agl, the engine lost total power. Subsequently, the flight instructor initiated a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane struck a culvert and came to rest upright. According to an FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, the firewall was buckled, the nose and right main landing gear were separated. No evidence of fuel was found in the fuel tanks. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6066G](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6066G), registered now, S/N 15071566, built 1969 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 150K - Registry model: [Cessna 150K](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150k) (registry code 2071822) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15071566 - Airframe hours: 5321 - Engines: Continental O-200-A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Bill Bishop - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 2, 2002, 28.9 hours before - Departed: TX05, Mc Kinney, TX - Destination: SWI, Sherman, TX ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 49; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review June 23, 2001; seat: right; flight hours: 2,067 total, 208 in this make and model, 1,880 as pilot in command, 70 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days - Student pilot; age 61; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 60 total, 60 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 340° at 6 knots - Visibility: 6 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F ## 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 20030309003389A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030309003389A), Mar 9, 2003: Cessna 150K, Sherman, TX, Substantial damage. (-23) On 3/9/03 at approximately 15:30 the aircraft departed mckinney for a training flight. The student pilot had checked the fuel with a stick and determined… 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.