- Date
- August 7, 2001, 18:51 local (Aug 8, 2001, 01:51 UTC)
- Place
- Fullerton, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6688GCessna 150L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20010808022349A
- Case key
- 52987
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
loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.
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
The airplane collided with trees during a forced landing to a city street following a loss of engine power during an approach to land. The engine began to run rough and lost power passing through 2,000 feet as the airplane approached the airport. The pilot started the engine, but it continued to run rough, and then stopped producing power again. He didn't think he could glide to a school yard so he elected to land on the city street and the wing collided with a tree. A white, sandy substance was discovered in the carburetor bowl. A ball of fibrous contamination was found in the inlet screen which blocked approximately 15 percent of the screen. Also, water and a white substance were discovered in the bottom of the fuel strainer.
Factual narrative
On August 7, 2001, at 1851 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150L, N6688G, made a forced landing on a city street following a loss of engine power on approach to the airport at Fullerton, California. The airplane was substantially damaged during the landing roll when it collided with trees. The private pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and sustained minor injuries. The personal cross-country flight departed from Meadows Field, Bakersfield, California, about 1520. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accident coordinator interviewed the pilot. The pilot said that he added 8 gallons of fuel in Bakersfield. The engine began to run rough and lost power passing through 2,000 feet as the airplane approached Fullerton. The pilot started the engine, but it continued to run rough, and stopped producing power again. He didn't think he could glide to a school yard so he elected to land on the city street and the wing collided with a tree.
The pilot drained about 8 gallons of fuel from the wings following the accident.
The FAA accident coordinator inspected the airplane. He removed a plug on the bottom of the carburetor and drained about 1 ounce of fuel. He observed water and a white substance in the fuel strainer.
The carburetor was examined at Precision Airmotive Corporation under the surveillance of an NTSB investigator. There was a white, sandy substance in the carburetor bowl, and a ball of fibrous contamination in the inlet screen that blocked approximately 15 percent of the screen.
Repeated requests were made to the pilot to complete NTSB Form 6120.1/2, but no response was received.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6688G
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15072188
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Brian K. Gerdes
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BFL · Bakersfield, CA
- Destination
- FUL · Fullerton, CA
- Airport
- FUL · Fullerton Municipal, runway 24, 3,121 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 32
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 300 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- FUL, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.