- Date
- August 11, 1993, 20:19 local (Aug 12, 1993, 00:19 UTC)
- Place
- Pembroke Pines, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7873FCessna 150F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report August 1, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930812029099A
- Case key
- 37382
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
Total loss of engine power caused by fuel exhaustion and inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot-in-command. Contributing to the accident was the inaccurate fuel quantity gauges and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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 flight departed with an estimated sufficient quantity of fuel based on the fuel gauges. While on final approach to land, the engine quit due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot landed the airplane in a small body of water after he was unable to land at the airport. The airplane was recovered and examination by the FAA revealed that the left and right fuel tanks contained respectively 1.5 and 2 gallons of fuel. According to the type certificate data sheet, the unusable fuel quantity is 3.5 gallons. The airplane was operated according to the tachometer 3.69 hours since the fuel tanks were filled.
Factual narrative
On August 11, 1993, about 2019 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150F, N7873F, registered to Donna M. Hanner and operated by Dove Aviation, Inc., was substantially damaged during a forced landing in a body of water near Pembroke Pines, Florida, while on approach to land at the North Perry Airport, Hollywood, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from the North Perry Airport, Hollywood, Florida, about 38 minutes earlier.
The student pilot stated that before departure, he observed that the left and right fuel gauges indicated respectively 1/4 and 1/2 full. The owner of the flight school advised him that the quantity was sufficient for the estimated 1-hour flight. The flight departed, then returned for landing and while on final approach, the engine failed. Unable to land at the airport he ditched the airplane in a small body of water.
Review of the airplane records revealed that the airplane had been operated according to the engine tachometer for 3.69 hours since the fuel tanks were filled.
According to FAA personnel, examination of the airplane after it was recovered from the water revealed that the left and right fuel tanks respectively contained about 1.5 and 2 gallons of fuel. The gascolator was drained and did not contain fuel.
According to the type certificate data sheet for the airplane, the total unusable fuel quantity for the airplane is 3.5 gallons.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7873F
- Reported as
- Cessna 150F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15063973
- Airframe hours
- 4,918
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Dove Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Hanner, Donna M.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 7, 1993 · 16 hours before
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 136 total · 85 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 60° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HWO, 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.