- Date
- September 24, 1995, 14:25 local (18:25 UTC)
- Place
- Sarasota, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6080TCessna 150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950924030169A
- Case key
- 37832
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 failure of the pilot to perform fuel consumption calculations resulting in a loss of power due to fuel exhaustion.
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 had been flying towing a banner for about 2 hours 45 minutes when he experienced a total loss of engine power. He dropped the banner, and executed a forced landing to a causeway. During the landing the airplane struck a light pole. Examination of the airplane fuel system after the accident revealed less than one gallon of fuel.
Factual narrative
On September 24, 1995, about 1425 eastern daylight time, N6080T, a Cessna 150, operated by Florida Aerial Ads Inc., crashed in Sarasota, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 banner towing flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot reported no injuries. The flight had originated from Sarasota, about 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
The pilot was completing his second banner flight and the engine lost power. He dropped the banner in the Intercoastal Waterway and executed a forced landing to a causeway. During the landing roll the right wing struck a light pole. Less than 1 gallon of fuel was found in the airplane fuel system after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6080T
- Reported as
- Cessna 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 60780
- Airframe hours
- 6,742
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Florida Aerial Ads Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 3, 1995 · 93 hours before
- Departed
- SRQ · FL
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
- 24
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 380 total · 30 in this make and model · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SRQ, 4 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.
Other investigations on N6080T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.