LAX02LA044

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150K · Honolulu, HI · December 10, 2001

Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
December 9, 2001, 17:45 local (Dec 10, 2001, 03:45 UTC)
Place
Honolulu, HI
Injuries
1 minor, 1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N6136GCessna 150K
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Dusk
Status
Completed · report October 24, 2002
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA-WP-FSDO
FAA report
20011209037839A
Case key
53886

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and improper in-flight decision and planning.

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.

Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanicalCruise - normal
Refueling - not performedPilot in command
Fluid,fuel - exhaustionCause
Preflight planning/preparation - inadequatePilot in commandFactor
In-flight planning/decision - improperPilot in commandFactor
Forced landingDescent - emergency
On ground/water collision with objectLanding - flare/touchdown
Object - tree(s)

Analysis

The pilot rented the airplane and did not fill the fuel tanks prior to taking off for a planned round-robin flight between the islands of Oahu and Lanai. The pilot spent about 30 minutes on the ground at Lanai during which time he did not check the quantity of fuel in the tanks. No fuel was obtained at Lanai, and the pilot attempted to fly back to Oahu. After flying a total of approximately 1.9 hours, fuel starvation occurred about 8 miles east of the pilot's intended destination, the Honolulu International Airport. The pilot made a forced landing in a park and during rollout the airplane collided with a mango tree. During the postimpact airplane examination, the undamaged right wing fuel tank was found containing several drops of fuel. The damaged (but not breached) left wing fuel tank contained about 1 quart of fuel. According to the Cessna Aircraft Company, the airplane's nominal fuel consumption rate is 6.0 gallons per hour, and its unusable fuel in all flight conditions is about 3.5 gallons.

Factual narrative

On December 9, 2001, about 1745 hours Hawaiian standard time, a Cessna 150K, N6136G, experienced a total loss of engine power during cruise flight. The pilot made a forced landing in a park on the Island of Oahu, and during rollout the airplane collided with a tree. The airplane was operated by Oahu Aviation Flight School, Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii, and it was substantially damaged. The private pilot received a minor injury, and the passenger was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the dusk flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91.

The round-robin flight originated from the Honolulu International Airport on Oahu about 1530. The pilot reported that he believed the airplane's fuel tanks were full, but he may have "misjudged" their actual quantity. After takeoff, the pilot flew to the Island of Lanai, and arrived there about 1620. While on Lanai, the pilot did not check the amount of fuel in the tanks. The pilot departed Lanai about 1650 and planned to return to Honolulu. The pilot reported that while en route the engine lost power. At the time, the fuel tank gauges registered slightly less than 1/2 full.

Unable to reach his destination, the pilot made a forced landing in the Waialae Iki Park (about 8 miles east of the Honolulu International Airport). During rollout, the airplane collided with a mango tree.

According to the operator, the pilot had been scheduled to rent the airplane between 1400 and 1600, but he had been delayed for undetermined reasons. The airplane's fuel tanks were not full upon the pilot's departure from Honolulu. The total time registered on the engine's tachometer (from Honolulu to Lanai to impact) was approximately 1.9 hours.

The operator reported that after the accident the airplane was examined. The undamaged right wing fuel tank was found containing several drops of fuel. The damaged (but not breached) left wing fuel tank contained about 1 quart of fuel. The operator also stated that the airplane's engine burns approximately 6 gallons per hour.

According to the Cessna Aircraft Company, the airplane's fuel tank capacity is 26 gallons. The total usable fuel in all flight conditions is 22.5 gallons.

Aircraft

Registration
N6136G
Reported as
Cessna 150K
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15071636
Airframe hours
9,053
Engine
Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Oahu Aviation Flight School, Inc.
Registered owner
Commercial Flyer, Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility
Last inspection
100 hour · November 15, 2001
Departed
LNY · Lanai, Hawaii, HI
Destination
HNL · Honolulu, HI
Airport
HNL · Honolulu

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
28
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 1
Last flight review
August 15, 2001
Seat
Left
Flight hours
101 total · 4 in this make and model · 38 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Dusk
Wind
70° at 12 knots, gusting 21
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
77 °F, dew point 64 °F
Altimeter
29.98 inHg
Observed at
HNL, 8 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.