Cessna 150J N5578G

Summary

On 28 April 2021 at about 17:30 local time, a Cessna 150J registered N5578G was involved in an accident near Madison, Arkansas, United States. One person was 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

28 April 2021 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Madison, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

34.9784, -90.7230

Aircraft

Cessna 150J

Registration

N5578G

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

Forrest City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA231

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper fuel planning which led to fuel exhaustion, and a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while the airplane was in cruise flight, the engine power reduced to idle. The pilot noted that the engine was still running but that he was unable to increase power above idle. He stated that the engine acted as if the throttle control was disconnected. The pilot made a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane’s nose landing gear sunk in the soft ground, and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed no usable fuel remaining in the wing fuel tanks, no fuel in the gascolator, and no evidence of a fuel spill at the accident site. The throttle control connection was checked; although the carburetor had broken loose from its mount due to impact, evidence indicated that the throttle control was functioning. The temperature and dew point at the time of the accident were conducive for carburetor icing at glide power. However, a power loss during cruise flight and power that rapidly reduces to idle are not consistent with a loss of power due to carburetor icing. Given the available evidence for this investigation, the pilot failed to adequately plan the fuel for the flight which resulted in the airplane’s fuel supply to be exhausted, resulting in a total loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.