Cessna 150L N6520G

Summary

On 20 May 2003 at about 02:00 local time, a Cessna 150L registered N6520G was involved in an accident near Temple, Texas, 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 May 2003 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Temple, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Draughon-Miller Central Texas (TPL)

Coordinates

31.1542, -97.4131

Aircraft

Cessna 150L

Registration

N6520G

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Burnet → Temple

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

FTW03LA157

1 person had minor injuries.

The total loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. Contributing factors were the night conditions and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the turn from base to final, the solo student pilot reduced the throttle to 1,500 rpm. According to the student pilot, the airplane was farther away from the runway than anticipated, so he increased the throttle; however, the engine lost rpm. The student pilot performed the emergency procedure but engine power was not restored. During the night forced landing, the airplane collided with trees short of the runway. The integrity of the fuel system was compromised. The fuel tanks were reported full (26.5 gallons, 22 gallons usable) when the airplane departed for the round robin flight. En route refueling was planned, and the pilot added 9.3 gallons at the first refueling point; however, fueling personnel were not on duty at the airport for the second planned refueling. The student measured his fuel using a fuel measuring stick, and calculated his remaining fuel to be 10 gallons (approximately 9 gallons usable). The student telephoned his instructor, and both agreed on an alternate airport for refueling. The total flight time was 4.6 hours. Based on the available flight plan data, the aircraft manufacturer's representative calculated a total fuel consumption of 21.6 gallons for the planned round robin flight. The carburetor icing probability chart indicates that carburetor icing was possible at glide and cruise power with the ambient temperature of 88 degrees Fahrenheit and a dew point of 66 degrees Fahrenheit.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.