- Date
- April 19, 1992, 12:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Mesquite, NV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6582GCessna 150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920419018889A
- Case key
- 27602
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 poor preflight planning and improper fuel consumption calculations. Factors relating to this accident were fuel exhaustion, and the unsuitable terrain, and lack of understanding of the airplane's fuel system.
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 pilot was conducting the second leg of a VFR cross country flight when the engine began to intermittently lose power. The pilot elected to continue to the destination airport since the surrounding terrain was unsuitable for an off airport landing. Before reaching the privately owned airport, the engine sustained a total loss of power. During the ensuing emergency landing the airplane collided with a dirt embankment. The wreckage examination revealed that the fuel tanks contained about three and a half gallons of fuel. The pilot had made an unplanned landing at an alternate airport before continuing to the destination airport. He was not aware of the total useable fuel in the aircraft and told FAA inspectors that the total planned distance was 220 miles; the actual distance was 264 miles.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6582G
- Reported as
- Cessna 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 150722082
- Airframe hours
- 5,978
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Roberti, Michael, doing business as Arizona Aviation Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Roberti, Michael
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 8, 1992 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- PRC · Prescott, AZ
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 190 total · 145 in this make and model · 134 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 8 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.