WISCONSIN RAPID, WI, USA
N3238X
Cessna 150
Following a total loss of engine power, the pilot executed an off airport landing. During the landing, the airplane hit a dead furrow and flipped over. The pilot reported that after the total loss of engine power, the fuel gauges indicated empty. Two quarts of fuel were found in the airplane following the accident. No signs of any fuel leaks were found. The total flight time was approximately 3.4 hours at the time of the loss of power. The pilot reported the airplane used 6.2 gallons per hour during normal flight operations. The airplane's usable fuel amount is 22.5 gallons.
On August 2, 1996, at 1300 central daylight time (cdt), a Cessna 150, N3238X, sustained substantial damage during an off airport landing, near Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, following a total loss of engine power. The airplane was en route to the Stevens Point Airport, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, at the time of the accident. The pilot's final destination was Appleton, Wisconsin. The private pilot was uninjured in the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot reported during a telephone interview that the flight originated in Paynesville, Minnesota, and that he stopped in Litchfield, Minnesota for fuel. The pilot remember being on the ground approximately 45 minutes before departing Litchfield. The airport fuel log indicated that the airplane was fueled at 0720 cdt. After fueling in Litchfield, the pilot reported that he flew the airplane to Black River Falls, Wisconsin, where he stopped for lunch. The pilot said he was meeting friends for lunch, and believed the arrival time was approximately 1110 cdt. The pilot reported that approximately fifteen minutes after takeoff from Black River Falls, during cruise flight at 3,000 feet above mean sea level (msl), the engine sustained a partial loss of power. The pilot reported that after applying carburetor heat, the engine regained power. The pilot said after the initial loss of power, he checked the fuel gauges, and they were indicating the fuel tanks were empty. The pilot reported that approximately five minutes later the engine sustained a total loss of power. The pilot reported that there was a clear area below, and he set the airplane up for an emergency landing. The pilot reported that approximately 100 feet after the airplane touched down in the clear area, the nose wheel of the airplane contacted a dead farrow, which broke the nose gear. The pilot reported that the airplane then dropped on its nose, and flipped over. The pilot said that the total hour meter time since departure from Litchfield showed 2.9 hours, at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that airplane used 6.2 gallons per hour during normal flight operations. When the hour meter was connected to a battery following the accident, no abnormalities were noted. A review of the aircraft following the accident, by a Federal Aviation Administration principal maintenance inspector revealed the following. Two quarts of fuel were found in the aircraft when the fuel tanks were drained. A trace of fuel was found in the airplanes gascalator. No fuel stains were found behind the fuel caps, behind the gascolator, near the wing quick drains, or in the grass around the airplane. The airplane's engine produced 2200 RPM static, when test run following the accident. The carburetor was removed and disassembled, with no discrepancies noted. The airplane's nose gear was collapsed, the left wing was bent. The vertical fin and rudder were crushed.
fuel exhaustion, due to the pilot's improper planning/decision and inadequate fuel management.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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