- Date
- June 29, 1992, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bethel Park, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6849GCessna 150L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 37185
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 determine the fuel quantity prior to departure, which resulted in a power loss due to fuel exhaustion, over unsuitable terrain. Factors related to the accident were an improperly reading right fuel gauge, and an improperly adjusted carburetor.
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 departed on a local flight. He reported the fuel gauges reading approximately 1/4 at takeoff. While in cruise flight after takeoff, the engine quit due to fuel exhaustion. Post accident examination found the carburetor float level set higher than recommended, a sooty exhaust, and the right fuel tank fuel gauge reading approximately 1/4 full when the fuel tank was verified empty. The pilot said he checked the fuel gauges and dipped the fuel tanks prior to takeoff, however, the airplane was at a grass field airport, and the pilot was not certain the airplane was entirely level.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6849G
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15072349
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William J. Lehner
- Registered owner
- William J. Lehner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 27, 1992 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- G05 · Finleyville, PA
- Destination
- G05
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
- 49
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 25,225 total · 30 in this make and model · 9,160 as pilot in command · 240 in the last 90 days · 160 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
Other investigations on N6849G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.