# NTSB MIA96LA214: Cessna 150F, N7053F, Plant City, FL, August 16, 1996

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: August 16, 1996, 19:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place: Plant City, FL
- Coordinates: 27.920862, -82.12001 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9209&lon=-82.1200&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report December 16, 1996
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 38075
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA96LA214
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38075/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA96LA214

## Probable cause

a loss of engine power due to fuel contamination, resulting in a forced landing, and subsequent nose over.  A factor in this accident was an inadequate aircraft pre-flight

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of engine power, takeoff - initial climb
  - fluid,fuel - contamination (cause)
  - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor)
- Forced landing, emergency descent/landing
- Nose over, landing - flare/touchdown

## Analysis

The flight had taken off from runway 9, and had climbed to an altitude of about 150 feet mean sea level, when the airplane's engine lost power.  The pilot elected to make an off airport landing, turned the airplane to the left to clear trees, touched down in a field, and nosed over.  Examination of the wreckage revealed that 2 ounces of fuel was drained from the gascolator, about 3/4 of an ounce of the fuel was water, and 1 ounce of water was drained from the carburetor bowl.  The engine rotated freely and no discrepancies were found.  In addition, this airplane had flown only 5 hours in the past 12 months, and had not been fueled, before this flight, since sometime in February 1996.

## Factual narrative

On August 16, 1996, about 1910 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150F, N7053F, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91, personal flight, crashed in the vicinity of Plant City, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged.  The private pilot was not injured.

The flight had taken off from runway 9, and had climbed to an altitude of about 150 feet mean sea level, when the airplane's engine lost power.  The pilot elected to make an off airport landing, turned the airplane to the left to clear trees, touched down in a field, and nosed over.

Examination of the wreckage by the FAA revealed that 2 ounces of fuel was drained from the gascolator, and about 3/4 of an ounce of the fuel was water.  In addition, 1 ounce of water was drained from the carburetor bowl.  The engine rotated freely and no discrepancies were found.

According to the FAA inspector's statement, "...[this] aircraft [had] flown only 5 hours in over 12 months, [and was] not fueled since sometime in February 1996, possible engine failure due to fuel contamination."

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N7053F](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7053F), registered now, S/N 15063653 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Cessna 150F
- Registry model: [Cessna 150F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150f) (registry code 2071814) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 15063653
- Airframe hours: 4497
- Engines: Continental O-200A 100 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Kimball W. Wetherington
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, March 7, 1996, 4 hours before
- Airport: PCM, Plant City

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 37; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 165 total, 122 in this make and model, 140 as pilot in command, 2 in the last 90 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 145° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 84 °F

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19960816023039A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960816023039A), Aug 16, 1996: Cessna 150F, Plant City, FL, Substantial damage. Lost power on climbout. Nosed over landing. Few ounces fuel and water in system. Not flown or fueled for 6MO.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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