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March 25, 2020 · Cessna 150 E · N4729U

Mckinney, TX

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
March 25, 2020
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Mckinney, TX
Aircraft
Cessna 150 E (1965)
Tail Number
N4729U
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CEN20LA133

The pilot conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane and estimated that he had about 14 gallons of fuel on board before departure based on measuring the fuel in the tanks with a dipstick. He then completed a 1-hour, round-trip flight during which he conducted three touch-and-go landings at the first destination, then returned to the departure airport and completed three more touch-and-go landings. During climbout after the third landing, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and made a forced landing to a golf course; the airplane collided with a tee box and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane’s wings, forward fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. While the airplane was inverted, fuel was leaking from the fuel tank caps, but the fuel caps remained intact and secured. After the airplane was flipped upright, 2 to 3 gallons of fuel were drained from the tanks. The airplane's unusable fuel is 3.5 gallons. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of fuel in the rest of the fuel system and no other pre-accident anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Based on that lack of usable fuel in the fuel system, it is likely that the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and inflight fuel management resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning and inflight fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.

Full Narrative

On March 25, 2020, about 1830 central daylight time, a Cessna 150E airplane, N4729U, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident after departing Aero Country Airport (T31), McKinney, Texas. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he performed a preflight inspection with no anomalies noted and confirmed 14 gallons of fuel onboard by using a dipstick, which would have yielded about 1.5 hours of flight time with a 30-minute reserve. He departed T31 about 1730 and flew 26 miles north to an airport for three touch-and-go landings. The pilot then flew back to T31 and completed three more touch-and-go landings. He reported that before the final landing, the fuel gauges indicated 1/4 tank and 1/8 tank of fuel. On climb out from the final touch-and-go, about 200 ft above ground level, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot advanced the throttle and mixture controls full forward and turned off the carburetor heat, but the engine did not respond. The pilot made a forced landing to a golf course, during which the airplane collided with a tee box and nosed over. Figure 1 shows the accident airplane on the golf course after it had been flipped upright. The wings are slightly damaged but remained attached to the fuselage and the fuel caps are still installed. Figure 1 – The accident airplane upright on the golf course. The pilot reported that fuel was leaking from the fuel tank caps while the airplane was inverted and when the airplane was recovered to a hangar at T31, about 3 gallons of fuel were drained from the fuel tanks. According to the airplane owner's manual, the fuel tanks hold a total of 26 gallons with 3.5 gallons unusable (1.75 gallons per tank). A postaccident examination was completed by a mechanic with oversight provided by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector. The inspector noted that 2 to 3 gallons of fuel were found in a container, which held the fuel previously drained from the tanks. The fuel strainer and its attached fuel line remained attached to the firewall and were undamaged. The strainer, fuel lines, and carburetor did not contain any fuel and were completely dry and clear of contaminants. The examination did not reveal any other preaccident anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time18:30 CDT
Nearest AirportAero Country (1nm SSW)
Runway17
Runway Length4352 ft
Runway Width60 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 150 E
Tail NumberN4729U
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsContinental · O-200-A · Reciprocating · 100
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 38 · Second Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind180° @ 13 kt
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point59
Altimeter29.26 inHg
Observation Time23:53
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data