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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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NTSB Report

April 6, 1997 · Cessna 150J · N50918

Miami, FL

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
April 6, 1997
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 minor injury)
Location
Miami, FL
Aircraft
Cessna 150J
Tail Number
N50918
Operator
Adf Airways
Injuries
Minor
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
MIA97LA121

The student pilot was on a solo cross-country flight. He stated that he experienced a loss of engine power at 1800 feet while approaching Kendall-Tamiami Airport for landing. He made a distress call and selected a forced landing area. The pilot made a forced landing on a dirt trail. The nose gear collapsed on landing roll out in soft terrain and the airplane spun around 180 degrees. Examination of the aircraft revealed that no useable fuel was found in the aircraft tanks or fuel system.

NTSB Probable Cause

The student pilot's inadequate preflight planning and improper fuel consumption calculations which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

Full Narrative

On April 6, 1997, about 1500 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150J, N50918, registered to Kirk Enterprises, Inc., operated by ADF Airways Corp., while on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, crashed during a forced landing in the vicinity of Kendall-Tamiami Airport, Miami, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The student pilot reported minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight originated from La Belle, Florida, about 1 hour 30 minutes before the accident. The student pilot was on a solo cross-country flight from Miami to Fort Pierce, Florida, with a scheduled fuel stop at La Belle before returning to Miami. The pilot stated he purchased 8.3 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel, and estimated that he had 10.0 total gallons of fuel on board the airplane when he departed for Miami. The pilot experienced a loss of engine power at 1,800 feet in the vicinity of Kendall-Tamiami Airport. The pilot made a distress call, selected a forced landing area, and landed on a dirt trail. The nose gear collapsed on landing rollout in nonsuitable soft terrain and the airplane spun around 180 degrees. Examination of the aircraft revealed that no useable fuel was found in the aircraft tanks or fuel system. The pilot stated to the FAA inspector that he ran out of fuel. He also stated in the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report that his fuel/distance/time calculations were incorrect and poor flight planning on his part contributed to this accident.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time15:00 EDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Runway0
Flight Plan FiledVFR
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 150J
Tail NumberN50918
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorAdf Airways
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsContinental · O-200-A · Reciprocating · 100
Seats2

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 minor injury)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor1
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 41 · Third Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind140° @ 14 kt
Visibility5 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point64 F
Altimeter30.00 inHg
Observation Time19:18
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data