TAFT, TX, USA
N10519
Cessna 150L
The airplane impacted a power line and a tree during a forced landing following a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. The 72-hour private pilot did not verify the amount of fuel on board the airplane during the pre-flight inspection. When the engine lost power, the pilot initiated a forced landing to a road. However, he misjudged the landing, and the airplane contacted a power line and a tree short of the intended landing site. The airplane then impacted the ground, slid approximately 15 feet, and came to rest upright in the driveway of a residence. Approximately 1 quart of fuel was drained from the airplane's fuel system following the accident.
On June 12, 1998, at 2020 central daylight time, a Cessna 150L airplane, N10519, was substantially damaged when it impacted a power line and a tree during a forced landing following a loss of engine power, near Corpus Christi, Texas. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 local personal flight. The flight originated from the Corpus Christi International Airport, Corpus Christi, Texas, approximately 1900. During a telephone interview conducted by an NTSB investigator and in a written statement, the 72-hour private pilot, who was renting the airplane, reported that he did not verify the amount of fuel on board during the pre-flight inspection. He stated that the airplane was approximately 5 miles north of the Corpus Christi International Airport when the engine lost power. He further stated that the loss of engine power was due to "fuel exhaustion." The pilot initiated a forced landing to a road; however, he "misjudged the landing due to strong wind." The airplane contacted a power line and a tree short of the intended landing site. The airplane then impacted the ground and turned 180 degrees, simultaneously sliding approximately 15 feet, and came to rest upright in the driveway of a residence. The FAA inspector, who examined the airplane at the accident site, reported that the leading edge of the left wing was dented, and the outboard section of the right wing was bent down. The nose landing gear was partially folded forward, and the engine mount was damaged. The inspector visually checked the left and right wing fuel tanks and found they contained only "residual fuel." He drained approximately one quart of fuel from the main sump "before it stopped" draining.
The pilot's failure to ensure that there was adequate fuel for the planned flight on board the airplane during the preflight inspection which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. A factor was the pilot's misjudgment of the glide distance during the forced landing which resulted in the airplane impacting objects short of the intended landing site.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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