- Date
- August 15, 2016, 10:35 local (14:35 UTC)
- Place
- North Conway, NH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7157XCessna 150
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 22, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160815024059A
- Case key
- 93844
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 improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a total loss of engine power, a forced landing, and nose over.
Findings · 4
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
The pilot reported that while en-route to his destination airport, he saw a "small area of rain" ahead. He further reported that he "circled around for a while" awaiting for the weather to clear, but during the circling he "ran out of fuel" and the engine lost power. Subsequently, the pilot landed in a corn field and the airplane nosed over. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while en-route to his destination airport, he saw a "small area of rain" ahead. He further reported that he "circled around for a while" awaiting for the weather to clear, but during the circling he "ran out of fuel" and the engine lost power. Subsequently, the pilot landed in a corn field and the airplane nosed over. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7157X
- Reported as
- Cessna 150 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15059257
- Built
- 1961
- Airframe hours
- 8,497
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 24, 2016
- Departed
- MSS · Massena, NY
- Destination
- HIE · Whitefield, NH
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 81
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 20, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 430 total · 175 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KHIE, 26 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 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.
Other investigations on N7157X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.