# NTSB SEA02LA028: Cessna 150M, N704NY, Clinton, WA, January 13, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 13, 2002, 14:45 local (22:45 UTC) - Place: Clinton, WA - Coordinates: 47.950504, -122.410499 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.9505&lon=-122.4105&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 3, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA-FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 54022 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA02LA028 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54022/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54022 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA02LA028 ## Probable cause Fuel exhaustion while in cruise flight resulting in a loss of engine power and the pilot's failure to refuel the aircraft. The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and a fence post were factors. ## Analysis The student pilot reported that prior to departure for the round robin cross country flight, he visually checked the fuel tanks which he estimated to be about 3/4 full. During the return flight, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine with no success. A forced landing was initiated. During the landing roll, the right horizontal stabilizer collided with a fence post. Post accident examination of the fuel tanks revealed that the right fuel tank contained a small amount of fuel, and the left fuel tank was empty. Fueling records and aircraft rental logs found that the aircraft had previously flown 2.2 hours and had not been refueled. The accident flight was 1.6 hours in duration at the time of the loss of power. ## Factual narrative On January 13, 2002, at 1445 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 150M, N704NY, registered to and operated by Zephyr Aviation Ltd., as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, experienced a loss of engine power while in cruise flight. The student pilot initiated a forced landing to an open field near Clinton, Washington. During the landing roll, the aircraft collided with a fence. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the student pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Bellingham, Washington, at 1400. In a written statement, the pilot reported that prior to departing from Tacoma, Washington, for the round robin flight to Bellingham, he checked the fuel level by looking in the wing fuel tanks and then sticking his finger in the filler hole where he was able to touch the fuel and approximating that they were about 3/4 full. The pilot then took off for the flight to Bellingham. The pilot reported that he stopped at Bellingham to use the facilities. The pilot then began the return trip without fueling the aircraft. About 45 minutes after departure, the engine quit. The pilot reported that he attempted to restart the engine without success. The pilot initiated a forced landing to an open field. During the landing roll, the right horizontal stabilizer collided with a fence post. Federal Aviation Administration Inspectors from the Seattle, Washington, Flight Standards District Office and maintenance personnel from Zephyr Aviation responded to the accident site. During the on-site inspection, the left fuel tank was found empty and the right fuel tank contained a small amount of fuel. The fuel strainer contained approximately 3/4 cup of fuel, and the carburetor bowl contained about 1/2 cup of fuel. Fueling records and Zephyr's Aircraft Rental Flight Log indicated that the aircraft was last fueled on January 10, 2002. A 2.2 hour flight was accomplished on January 11, 2002. No fuel was added after this flight. The accident flight flew another 1.6 hours for a total of 3.8 hours flown since the last fueling. The Cessna 150 Owner's Manual indicates that the standard fuel tanks full volume is 26 gallons, with 22.5 gallons useable. The pilot's flight planning log indicated that he estimated using 13.2 gallons for the 212 mile round trip flight, and about two hours and twenty minutes of flight time. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, cruise - refueling - not performed, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - On ground/water collision with object, landing - roll - object - fence post (contributing factor) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N704NY](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N704NY-2002-09-19), registration cancelled 2002-09-19, S/N 15078754, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 150M - Registry model: [Cessna 150M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150m) (registry code 2071830) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15078754 - Airframe hours: 5649.7 - Engines: Continental O-200-A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Zephyr Aviation LTD. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility - Last inspection: 100 hour, January 3, 2002, 8 hours before - Departed: BLI, Bellingham, WA - Destination: TIW, Tacoma, WA - Flight plan: VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 55 total, 55 in this make and model, 12 as pilot in command, 7 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 5,000 ft broken - Temperature: 43 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.35 inHg - Observed at: NUW, 24 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 20020113002209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020113002209A), Jan 13, 2002: Cessna 150M, Langley, WA, No damage. (-23) On January 13, 2002 at 1445 PST, a Cessna 150M, N704NY, registered to zephyr aviation made an emergency landing approximately 2.5 miles se of… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 10, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54022. 720 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 360 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40378932&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - FAA Inspector's Report (item 2, .PDF, 157 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40378933&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Aircraft Rental Log (item 3, .PDF, 65 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40155524&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Aircraft%20Rental%20Log-Master.PDF - Fuel Record (item 4, .PDF, 19 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40155526&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Fuel%20Record-Master.PDF - Pilot's Flight Planning (item 5, .PDF, 118 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40155528&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%27s%20Flight%20Planning-Master.PDF 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.