Cessna 150M N590AM

Summary

On 20 November 2001 at about 22:25 local time, a Cessna 150M registered N590AM, operated by Florida Pilot School, Inc., was involved in an accident near Stuart, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 November 2001 at 22:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Stuart, Florida, United States

Coordinates

27.0831, -80.3411

Aircraft

Cessna 150M

Registration

N590AM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Florida Pilot School, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Stuart → Stuart

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA02LA028

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's improper fuel consumption calculations resulting in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and collision with trees during a forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot stated that prior to departure she fueled the airplane herself. She then departed Stuart and flew to Melbourne, Florida, and then returned to Stuart. The traffic pattern at Stuart was very busy, so she went to the practice area. She then made contact with the Stuart Control Tower and was cleared to enter right base for runway 7. She was about 8 miles from the airport, at 2,500 feet, and the engine was operating at 2,300 rpm. The engine then quit and she made a forced landing in a orange grove. Postcrash examination of the airplane by FAA inspectors showed the fuel selector was on, the right fuel tank was empty, and the left fuel tank contained 1.5 to 2 gallons of fuel. There was no evidence of fuel leakage from the airplane after the accident or in-flight prior to the accident. The engine tachometer showed the airplane had operated 3.1 flight hours since the pilot took the airplane. After the airplane was recovered, FAA inspectors observed company maintenance personnel attach a fuel supply to the engine and then start and operate the engine with no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction. The Pilot Operating Handbook for the Cessna 150 shows the airplane has 3.5 gallons of unusable fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.