- Date
- October 27, 1991, 14:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Hatch, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N50472Cessna 150J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911027048029A
- Case key
- 18406
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
Fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to refuel and his poor preflight and inflight planning. Factors were the unsuitable mountainous terrain at the pilot's disposal and the unfavorable winds aloft.
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
A private pilot and his wife went on a round robin cross country flight. The first leg of the trip was uneventful. Prior to departure on the second leg, the pilot checked the fuel quantity by dipping the tanks, and confirmed that he had a total of 20 gallons remaining for the return trip. While enroute, the pilot was forced to circumnavigate around weather to remain clear of clouds. His situation was further aggravated by an estimated 40 knot head wind. Engine power was lost and the pilot was able to restart the engine twice for only a couple of seconds both times. A forced landing was made in mountainous terrain, with both occupants escaping unharmed. One fuel cell was totally empty and the other one had about a half cup of fuel remaining.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50472
- Reported as
- Cessna 150J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15069328
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Roy C. Cox, doing business as Roy Cox And Associates
- Registered owner
- Roy C. Cox
- Departed
- 0E0 · Moriarty, NM
- Destination
- LRU · Las Cruces, NM
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 56 total · 56 in this make and model · 31 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 19 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N50472 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.