- Date
- July 27, 1991, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Caribbean Sea
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6088KCessna 150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910727062829A
- Case key
- 32909
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
Improper placement of the boost pump selector by the pilot in command, and electrical system failure for undetermined reasons. This resulted in the total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
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 flt departed using fuel from the main fuel tanks to supply the eng and climbed to alt. The plt then utilized the fuel from the electrically driven aux fuel sys but stated that the eng quit 1 hr 15 minutes later. He determined that there was a failure or malfunction of the electrical sys and fuel from the main tanks was then used to supply the eng. The eng was restarted. The flt diverted to an alternate and the plt attempted to supply fuel to the eng from the aux fuel tank by turning on the shutoff valve and both fuel pumps but was unsuccessful. The eng eventually quit due to fuel exhaustion in the main fuel tanks. He ditched the acft near an island, swam to it, and was rescued 26 hrs later. The acft was not recovered. He further stated that he believes that the fuel pumps overloaded the electrical sys but in retrospect believes the alternator failed. The aux fuel sys incorporates two electric pumps but only one is to be used for normal operation. The second pump is to be used only for a failure or malfunction of the first pump.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6088K
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15077519
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Aero Taxi, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Aero Taxi, Inc.
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- MWCR · Grand Cayman, OF
- Destination
- MPTO · Panama City, OF
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 19
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 275 total · 14 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.