# NTSB MIA99LA037: Cessna 150F, N3060X, New Brockton, AL, November 26, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: November 26, 1998, 16:15 local (22:15 UTC) - Place: New Brockton, AL - Coordinates: 31.379022, -85.919319 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.3790&lon=-85.9193&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 16, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 45381 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA99LA037 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/45381/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA037 ## Probable cause the pilot's failure to perform fuel consumption calculations for the flight, resulting in a total power failure due to fuel exhaustion, and subsequent forced landing in soft terrain. Contributing factors in this accident were inadequate pre-flight planning and preparation. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, maneuvering - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) - fuel consumption calculations - not performed, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - 1 engine - failure,total - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - Nose over, emergency landing - terrain condition - soft (cause) ## Analysis The pilot said that when he arrived at the airplane, he checked the fuel, and found 'around 12 or 13 gallons' of fuel in the tanks. He took off and flew for 'around 30 minutes.' He returned to the airport, landed and checked his fuel before taking off again. This time when he checked fuel he said there was 'around 8 to 9 gallons' of fuel in the tanks. He took off again with a different passenger, and flew for 'around 15 minutes.' Again he returned to the airport, landed, and checked his fuel. This time he said, '...the fuel tanks had a little more than quarter of tank of fuel (between 5 to 6 gallons.' He took off again with a third passenger, and was heading west, when he said 'the engine quite running.' He said, '...I tried to restart the engine and failed. I then scanned the area for a safe place to land...I found a field that was about 2 miles from were the engine quit. By the time I got to the field I was at tree top level...the field was just plowed, when the wheels touched down the nose gear stuck in the dirt and caused the airplane to flip over.' According to the FAA the pilot received the airplane with the tank 1/2 full of fuel, and could not purchase fuel, because of the Thanksgiving holiday. He flew some passengers around the local area for an unknown number of hours, and on the third flight, the airplane's engine failed. He completed a forced landing in a field and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the wreckage revealed no fuel in either of the airplane's fuel tanks or on the ground. The fuel tanks and fuel lines were not breached. The FAA report stated that the pilot, '...miscalculated his fuel causing the engine to stop and necessitating an emergency landing in a field.' ## Factual narrative On November 26, 1998, about 1615 central standard time, a Cessna 150F, N3060X, registered to a private individual, nosed over during a forced landing, near New Brockton, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot reported minor injuries, and one passenger reported no injuries. The flight originated at 1530, from Enterprise, Alabama. The pilot said that when he arrived at the airplane, he checked the fuel, and found "around 12 or 13 gallons" of fuel in the tanks. He took off and flew for "around 30 minutes." He returned to the airport, landed and checked his fuel before taking off again. This time when he checked fuel he said there was "around 8 to 9 gallons" of fuel in the tanks. He took off again with a different passenger, and flew for "around 15 minutes." Again he returned to the airport, landed, and checked his fuel. This time he said, "...the fuel tanks had a little more than quarter of tank of fuel (between 5 to 6 gallons." He took off again with a third passenger, and was heading west, when he said "the engine quit running." He said, "...I tried to restart the engine and failed. I then scanned the area for a safe place to land...I found a field that was about 2 miles from were the engine quit. By the time I got to the field I was at tree top level...the field was just plowed, when the wheels touched down the nose gear stuck in the dirt and caused the airplane to flip over." According to the FAA, the pilot received the airplane with the tank 1/2 full of fuel, and could not purchase fuel, because of the Thanksgiving holiday. He flew some passengers around the local area for an unknown number of hours, and on the third flight, the airplane's engine failed. He completed a forced landing in a field and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the wreckage revealed no fuel in either of the airplane's fuel tanks or on the ground. The fuel tanks and fuel lines were not breached. The FAA report stated that the pilot, "...miscalculated his fuel causing the engine to stop and necessitating an emergency landing in a field." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3060X](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3060X-1999-04-23), registration cancelled 1999-04-23, S/N 15064460 (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: 15064460 - Airframe hours: 6577 - Engines: Continental O-200A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Bascom H. Knight - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: EDN ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 157 total, 51 in this make and model, 96 as pilot in command, 10 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 350° at 3 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: ORZ, 10 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19981126032489A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981126032489A), Nov 26, 1998: Cessna 150F, New Brockton, AL, Substantial damage. (-23)Mr. Lindsey miscalculated his fuel causing the engine to stop and necessitating an emergency landing in a field. The landing site was soft earth causing… ## Other investigations on N3060X (2) 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. - [NTSB MIA76DKJ66](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA76DKJ66), Jun 6, 1976: Cessna 150 (N3060X), Russellville, AL, substantial damage - [NTSB MKC68D0117](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MKC68D0117), Jul 10, 1967: Cessna 150 (N3060X), Republic, MO, substantial damage 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.