- Date
- September 2, 1993, 17:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Missoula, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3305VCessna 150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 1, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930902032849A
- Case key
- 41758
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 loss of engine power from fuel exhaustion due to inadequate preflt planning/preparation by the PIC. A factor related to the accident was the rough/uneven terrain at the accident site.
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 acft lost engine power while the student was turning crosswind in the traffic pattern at 400 ft AGL. The instructor initiated a forced landing, and the acft impacted rough/uneven terrain and nosed over on touchdown. Examination of the wreckage revealed no usable fuel in the tanks.
Factual narrative
On Thursday afternoon, September 2, 1993, at 1750 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N3305V, operated by Northstar Aviation, impacted terrain and nosed over during an emergency forced landing at Missoula, Montana. There was no flight plan filed for the local student training flight, conducted under 14 CFR 91 in visual meteorological conditions, that originated at the Missoula Airport on September 2, 1993, at 1642. The instructor pilot and the student pilot were not injured in the accident. The aircraft was destroyed. There was no fire.
The instructor pilot reported the student pilot was practicing takeoff and landings on runway 25 at the Missoula Airport, and the aircraft lost engine power about 400 feet above the ground while the student was turning crosswind in the traffic pattern. The instructor initiated an emergency forced landing and the aircraft impacted rough terrain about one mile from the airport. The landing gear collapsed on impact and the aircraft nosed over.
The FAA Airworthiness Inspector who examined the wreckage reported the left fuel tank contained less than 1/2 gallon of fuel and the right tank contained about 2.5 gallons of fuel. The owner's manual indicates the total capacity of the aircraft fuel tanks is 26 gallons, of which 3.5 gallons is unusable.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3305V
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15076456
- Airframe hours
- 5,081
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Northstar Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Northstar Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 20, 1993 · 100 hours before
- Destination
- MSO
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
- 25
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 300 in this make and model · 576 as pilot in command · 115 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSO, 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.