- Date
- January 23, 2017, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Denton, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3545LCessna 150
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 4, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 94640
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 planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 3
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 on base to final, the engine "quit." He added that the airplane could not reach the runway, so he conducted a forced landed in a small field 1/2 mile from the airport. The airplane impacted a tree during landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage and wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident stated that, when he arrived, he only observed a few drops of fuel remaining in the airplane's undamaged fuel system. He further stated that, before removal of the wings from the airplane for transport, about 1.5 gallons of total fuel was drained from the fuel tanks.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while on base to final, the engine quit. He further reported that the airplane could not make it to the runway and force landed in a small field a half mile from the airport. The airplane impacted a tree during landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage and wings. The pilot reported there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector who responded to the accident stated, that when he arrived he only observed a few drops of fuel remaining in the airplane's undamaged fuel system. He further stated that prior to removal of the wings from the airplane for transport, all the fuel was drained from the fuel tanks, totaling approximately 1.5 gallons of fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3545L
- Reported as
- Cessna 150 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15062345
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 4,710
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200 SERIES, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 14, 2016
- Departed
- 3T6 · Justin, TX
- Destination
- DTO · Denton, TX
- Airport
- DTO · Denton Enterprise
- 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
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 25, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 27,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KDTO, 1 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 15, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 996 KB in all.
Other investigations on N3545L · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.