- Date
- December 13, 2013, 20:38 local (Dec 14, 2013, 04:38 UTC)
- Place
- Henderson, NV
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7015FCessna 150F
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20131213025179A
- Case key
- 88549
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 flight crew's improper in-flight fuel planning lead to fuel exhaustion, which resulted in a complete loss of engine power.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot, who was acting as the pilot-in-command, stated that shortly after he descended the airplane and leveled off at 6,000 feet mean sea level (msl) the engine sputtered and lost power. Attempts to restart the engine was unsuccessful. The pilot subsequently executed a forced landing into a cement mixing yard, shearing off the landing gear in the process and substantially damaging the fuselage and wings. The certified flight instructor (CFI), who was acting as copilot, stated that sunset occurred about 1 hour into the flight. The local sunset time was approximately 1627. The accident occurred at 2038, which established the total time airborne about 5 hours. Both pilots stated that the airplane was fully fueled before departing, and airport fueling records show that 19.6 gallons of fuel was purchased by the CFI. The Cessna 150 Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) states that an airplane equipped with standard fuel tanks has 22.5 gallons of usable fuel, and has about 5 hours of endurance at cruise power. First responders reported that there was no fuel observed in the airplane's fuel tanks and no odor of fuel was observed at the accident site. A postaccident examination of the airplane concluded that no engine mechanical malfunction or failure was identified that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The private pilot, who was acting as the pilot-in-command, stated that shortly after he descended the airplane and leveled off at 6,000 feet mean sea level (msl) the engine sputtered and lost power. Attempts to restart the engine was unsuccessful. The pilot subsequently executed a forced landing into a cement mixing yard, shearing off the landing gear in the process and substantially damaging the fuselage and wings. The certified flight instructor (CFI), who was acting as copilot, stated that sunset occurred about 1 hour into the flight. The local sunset time was approximately 1627. The accident occurred at 2038, which established the total time airborne about 5 hours. Both pilots stated that the airplane was fully fueled before departing, and airport fueling records show that 19.6 gallons of fuel was purchased by the CFI. The Cessna 150 Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) states that an airplane equipped with standard fuel tanks has 22.5 gallons of usable fuel, and has about 5 hours of endurance at cruise power. First responders reported that there was no fuel observed in the airplane's fuel tanks and no odor of fuel was observed at the accident site. A postaccident examination of the airplane concluded that no engine mechanical malfunction or failure was identified that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7015F
- Reported as
- Cessna 150F (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15063615
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 5,231
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200 SERIES, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 18, 2013
- Departed
- KCGZ · Casa Grande, AZ
- Destination
- KVGT · Las Vegas, NV
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- KVGT · North Las Vegas
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 181 total · 2.2 in this make and model · 68 as pilot in command
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 28, 2013
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 203.3 total · 116.3 in this make and model · 99 as pilot in command · 38.5 in the last 90 days · 35.5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 27.70 inHg
- Observed at
- KHND, 16 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 21, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.