- Date
- June 18, 2006, 17:45 local (Jun 19, 2006, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Shelton, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6255GCessna 150K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060618022649A
- Case key
- 64077
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 pilot's inadequate in-flight decision by failing to refuel while en route, resulting in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power. Compensation for weather (head winds), and trees were factors.
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 said that he had initially departed from Ephrata, Washington, with 3 hours of fuel; he said that the 145 nautical mile trip should have taken him 1.3 hours. The pilot reported that he made an interim full-stop at Ellensburg, Washington; he said that he had "very heavy winds" until west of the Cascade mountains. He reported a loss of engine power on 2 mile final at Shelton, Washington. A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector disconnected the fuel line to the carburetor and drained approximately 1.25 gallons of fuel from the tanks. The manufacturer’s Owners Manual states that the airplane's fuel capacity is 26 gallons, but 3.5 gallons are unusable.
Factual narrative
On June 18, 2006, approximately 1745 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150K, N6255G, was substantially damaged during a forced landing attempt near Sanderson Field Airport, Shelton, Washington. The private pilot received minor injuries and his passenger was not injured. The airplane was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personnel, cross-country flight which had originated from Ellensburg, Washington, an undetermined time before the accident. The pilot had filed and opened a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan.
The pilot said that he had initially departed from Ephrata, Washington, with 3 hours of fuel; he said that the 145 nautical mile trip should have taken him 1.3 hours. The pilot reported that he made an interim full-stop at Ellensburg, Washington; he said that he had "very heavy winds" until west of the Cascade mountains. He reported a loss of engine power on 2 mile final at Shelton, Washington. A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector disconnected the fuel line to the carburetor and drained approximately 1.25 gallons of fuel from the tanks. The manufacturer’s Owners Manual states that the airplane's fuel capacity is 26 gallons, but 3.5 gallons are unusable.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6255G
- Reported as
- Cessna 150K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15071755
- Airframe hours
- 4,655
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard K. Wiley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2005
- Departed
- ELN · Ellensburg, WA
- Destination
- SHN · Shelton, WA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 48
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 147 total · 87 in this make and model · 87 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- SHN, 2 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.