Cessna 140 N2514N

Summary

On 1 May 2015 at about 02:47 local time, a Cessna 140 registered N2514N was involved in an accident near Crescent Lake, Oregon, United States. 2 people were 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

1 May 2015 at 02:47

Classification

Accident

Location

Crescent Lake, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

43.5325, -121.9500

Aircraft

Cessna 140

Registration

N2514N

Category

Airplane

Year built

1947

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Medford → Sisters

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

WPR15LA155

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inability to restart the engine for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a cross-country flight, at a cruise altitude of about 7,500 ft mean sea level (msl), the airline transport pilot reported that the engine experienced a total loss of power after he allowed the left wing fuel tank to run empty. He switched fuel tanks but was unable to restart the engine. The pilot realized that the airplane was not within gliding distance of the nearest airport and decided to conduct a forced landing on a nearby road. During the landing roll, the airplane struck several trees and sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane established continuity of the fuel system with no anomalies observed. The left wing fuel tank was empty, and the right wing fuel tank was nearly full. A test run of the engine was conducted using the fuel from the right tank. The engine operated normally with no anomalies observed, and the reason for the pilot's inability to restart the engine following the loss of power could not be determined.    

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.