Cessna 150 N61024

Summary

On 4 February 2018 at about 00:30 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N61024 was involved in an accident near El Dorado, Kansas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 February 2018 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

El Dorado, Kansas, United States

Coordinates

37.8700, -96.6900

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N61024

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lawrence → Wichita

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA18CA124

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent off-airport landing and nose-over.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, en route, he noticed a drop in the engine's rpm. He noted that the fuel shutoff valve was open, and the gas gauges showed half full in the right tank and quarter full in the left tank. He added that the carburetor heat was off, the mixture was full rich, and then the engine quit running. During the third attempt to restart the engine, it briefly started and then quit again. Subsequently, during an off-airport landing in a field, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He added that he had filled the gas "to the top" (22.5 gallons) before departure and had flown for 3.7 hours. The 1969 Cessna 150 owner's manual states that the airplane's maximum range was 4.1 hours with no reserve at 75% power at 7,000 ft. The pilot further reported in a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge that he did not consult the emergency checklist because it was placed in the glovebox. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors drained the fuel tanks about 5 days after the accident and reported that there was no evidence of fuel leakage around the fuel caps or on the ground. They drained about 8 to 12 ounces from the left wing tank and about 3/4 of a gallon from the right wing tank. The FAA inspectors added that the engine showed proper continuity, and the magnetos were operational. The engine was not run due to a fractured intake manifold just above the carburetor base flange. The fracture damage to the intake manifold was consistent with impact damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.