- Date
- October 27, 2000, 18:27 local (Oct 28, 2000, 01:27 UTC)
- Place
- Sunnyslope, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7886ZCessna 150C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report May 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001027018279A
- Case key
- 50559
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's decision not to deviate to an alternate airport for fuel after encountering strong headwinds, resulting in fuel exhaustion. Factors contributing to the accident were the unfavorable winds and the sign impacted during the forced landing rollout.
Analysis
The pilot and passenger departed Friday Harbor, Washington, in the Cessna 150C with 9.0 gallons of fuel on board. They were destined for Bremerton, Washington, approximately 63 nautical miles (straight line distance) south-southeast. The pilot encountered 50-knot headwinds and did not stop for fuel en-route to his destination. During his approach to runway 19 at Bremerton, the engine coughed and subsequently died. The pilot executed a forced landing on a state highway about one mile north of the destination airport. During the rollout, the aircraft's right wing impacted a road sign. Upper air winds recorded for western Washington at the time of his departure were 48 knots from 160 degrees true at approximately 2,080 feet above sea level. An FAA inspector interviewed the pilot following the accident during which the pilot reported that he '...radioed the low fuel emergency...' and then '...ran out of fuel and had to make an emergency landing....'
Factual narrative
The factual narrative415 words
On October 27, 2000, approximately 1827 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150C, N7886Z, registered to and being flown by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during an on ground collision with a road sign during the landing rollout following a forced landing near Sunnyslope, Washington. The forced landing was conducted on route 3, approximately one mile north of the approach end of runway 19 at the Bremerton National Airport, Bremerton, Washington. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in dusk lighting conditions. The flight, which was personal and was operated under 14CFR91, originated from Friday Harbor, Washington, approximately 1700 local time.
Inspectors from the Renton, Washington, Federal Aviation Administration's Flight Standards District Office interviewed the pilot and passenger on the evening of the accident. The pilot reported that he left Friday Harbor with approximately one-third tank of fuel, and that he encountered strong southerly winds en route to Bremerton, 63 nautical miles (straight-line) south-southeast of Friday Harbor. He further reported that he "...radioed the low fuel emergency and tried to land at Bremerton Airport at approximately 1800. Upon descent they ran out of fuel and had to make an emergency landing on State Route 3..." (Refer to ATTACHMENT FAA-I). He then executed an intentional power off landing to the south, during which the aircraft's right wing impacted a road sign.
The pilot provided a written statement (NTSB Form 6120.1/2 attached) in which he reported that he departed Friday Harbor at 1700 and encountered 50-knot headwinds at his flight altitude of 3,500 feet above mean sea level (msl). He also reported that "we were unable to land at Jefferson Co[unty] due to scudding overcast in that area." Refer to CHART I, which shows the locations of Friday Harbor, Jefferson County airport, and the Bremerton national airport.
The pilot reported that during his approach to runway 19 at Bremerton, the engine coughed and subsequently died. He then landed southbound about one mile from the north end of runway 19. Additionally, he reported that he departed Friday Harbor with 9.0 gallons of fuel.
The 1700 local radiosonde launch from Quillayute (UIL), Washington, located 71 nautical miles southwest of Friday Harbor and 79 nautical miles west of Bremerton, and reported for the afternoon of the accident, provided winds aloft information as follows:
Pressure Height Wind Direction Wind Speed 992 mb* 0187 ft 120 deg True 18 kts 925 mb* 2080 ft 160 deg True 48 kts 850 mb* 4327 ft 170 deg True 49 kts
*Millibars
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7886Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 150C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15059986
- Airframe hours
- 5,140
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pierce, Michael S.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2000 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- FRI · Friday Harbor, WA
- Destination
- PWT · Bremerton, WA
- Airport
- PWT · Bremerton National
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 761 total · 753 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PWT, 1 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.