- Date
- December 21, 1994, 18:25 local (23:25 UTC)
- Place
- Wheeling, WV
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7175SCessna 150H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941221042029A
- Case key
- 38912
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 student pilot's inadequately planned cross-country flight, and his subsequent disorientation, resulting in fuel exhaustion and a collision with an object.
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 student pilot was conducting a solo, cross-country flight. He became lost and disoriented as he returned to his departure airport. He was vectored to an airport and started a visual approach. The engine quit on short final, and he was unable to glide to the runway. The airplane impacted a fence. The FAA examined the airplane and found one gallon of fuel in the tanks. The student, who owned the airplane, did not obtain his instructor's authorization for the cross country.
Factual narrative
On Wednesday, December 21, 1994, at 1825 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150H, N7175S, registered to and piloted by John T. Hart, a student pilot, was destroyed while attempting to land in Wheeling, West Virginia. The student pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The student pilot was performing a solo, cross-country flight. He departed Washington, Pennsylvania, on the last leg of the flight; however, he became lost and disoriented. He was vectored to the Wheeling Ohio County Airport and established a landing approach for runway 21. Just before reaching the airport boundary, the engine quit. He was unable to glide to the runway, and the airplane collided with a fence.
The FAA examined the airplane and determined that "less than one gallon of fuel was found in the wing tanks..."
The student pilot did not have his instructor's authorization for this flight; therefore, his flight planning was not reviewed by the instructor.
The student had about 40 hours total flight time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7175S
- Reported as
- Cessna 150H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15067875
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John T. Hart
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AFJ · Washington, PA
- Destination
- 7G1 · New Cumberland, WV
- Airport
- HLG · Wheeling Ohio County, runway 21, 5,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 40 total · 40 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.