FTW96LA363

According to the pilot, he had approximately 85 hours of flight training in another make/model of aircraft before he started training in the Cessna 150. On the morning of the accident, he had received his first one hour dual flight lesson in N9253U. After that, he flew solo in another Cessna 150, then at about 1930, he took off on another flight in N9253U. While returning to the airport after dark, the engine lost power. As the student was forced to land at night, he saw trees and maneuvered to avoid a collision, then was forced to land in a small lake. After the accident, no fuel was found in the airplane. Investigation revealed, the airplane had flown about 3.5 hours, since it was last refueled. During that time, the student had been performing flight maneuvers and practice landings. According to some experience flight instructors, fuel consumption for that type of flying could be as high as 7 to 8 gallons per hour. The airplane had a usable fuel capacity of 22.5 gallons.

On August 28, 1996, at 2050 central daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N9253U, was substantially damaged following a night forced landing near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The student pilot received minor injuries. The aircraft was owned and operated by MRM International Company Ltd., under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Wiley Post Airport near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at 1800. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local solo instructional flight and a flight plan was not filed.

According to the student pilot, in a telephone interview with the investigator-in-charge, he had approximately 85 hours of flight training in another make/model aircraft before he started training in the Cessna 150. He reported that he received his first one hour dual flight lesson in this aircraft the morning of the accident.

The student pilot further reported that "after a rest" he flew a second flight for 3.6 hours in another Cessna 150; this was a solo flight. The student pilot said that the "weather remained good," so he "decided to fly a third training flight, also solo." On the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report the pilot reported that he departed on this third flight at 1930, in the same aircraft he flew in that morning.

Fuel records at the airport indicated that the aircraft was last topped-off with fuel at 0637 on the morning of the accident. The aircraft's POH (pilots operating handbook) indicates the following: the aircraft holds 26 gallons of fuel of which only 22.5 gallons are usable. Interviews with flight instructors who were familiar with this aircraft reported to the IIC that the aircraft under "normal" flight conditions would burn between 5 and 6 gallons of fuel per hour. However, during flight training conditions, with the mixture in the full rich position, fuel consumption has been known to be as high 7 to 8 gallons per hour.

The student pilot reported to the Oklahoma City Police after the accident that "he had been doing maneuvers and the engine quit while he was in the air." He further stated to the police that "he did not run out of gas and does not know what went wrong." The FAA inspectors who examined the aircraft before it was removed from the crash site reported that "no fuel was found in the aircraft."

Weather conditions at the time of the accident were reported by ATC to be deteriorating with scattered rain showers and low scattered clouds. Official sunset on this day was 2003. At approximately 2040, the student pilot called Wiley Post tower saying that he was "lost" and was requesting help to get back to the airport. The Wiley Post tower controller reported to the FAA inspector that "he thought he could see the aircraft and he had identified him on his D Bright Scope." He further reported that he gave the "lost aircraft a heading for him to steer back to the field, but he went the other way."

The Wiley Post tower controller noted that his last radio contact with the accident aircraft was at 2050. Shortly thereafter, the tower controller began receiving a "strong ELT signal."

Evaluation of the accident aircraft records by the FAA inspector revealed that the morning dual training flight was .7 hours in length and the second solo training flight (which was the student's third flight for the day) was 2.8 hours in length. These times add up to 3.5 hours that this aircraft was used for flight training maneuvers and initial check out training which involved maneuvers and multiple practice landings.