Corydon, IN, USA
N17254
Cessna 150L
The airplane collided with trees during a forced landing due to fuel exhaustion. The accident occurred during the student's first solo cross country flight. The flight was planned from the Madison Municipal Airport (IMS), Madison, Indiana, to the Hook Municipal Airport (MWO), Middletown, Ohio, with a return leg to IMS. The student reported that during the first leg he overflew MWO and landed at the Green-County-Jackson Regional Airport (I19), in Dayton, Ohio. I19 is approximately 21 nautical miles past MWO. After receiving directions, he departed I19 for MWO where he landed and had his logbook signed. The student then departed for IMS. The student stated that while en route it became dark. The student over shot IMS by about 48 nautical miles. The student stated he did not know where he was until he saw a water tower with an unfamiliar town name on it. The student reported the engine then quit due to fuel exhaustion. He stalled the airplane just above treetops in a wooded area during the forced landing. The airplane settled through the trees coming to rest inverted. The student pilot had a total of 30 hours of flight time, and no night flight time had been logged in his logbook. A review of the student's navigational logs for the flights showed they were not complete or accurate.
On January 16, 2004, about 1930 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150L, N17254, piloted by a student pilot collided with trees during a forced landing near Corydon, Indiana. The student pilot received minor injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo instructional cross country flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from Madison Municipal Airport (IMS) about 1630 en route to Hook Municipal Airport (MWO), and was to return to IMS. The student's certified flight instructor (CFI), who was not on board the airplane, reported the student passed MWO and landed at the Green County-Jackson Regional Airport (I19), in Dayton, Ohio, where he received directions back to MWO. The student then flew back to MWO where he landed prior to departing at 1735 for the return flight to IMS. The CFI reported the student then over flew IMS and fuel exhaustion was experienced over Corydon. The airplane was landed in a heavily wooded area where it contacted trees prior to coming to rest inverted. According to the student pilot, he took off from IMS and proceeded towards MWO, but over shot MWO by approximately 30 miles. He then landed at I19, before he turned around and landed at MWO. He had someone sign his logbook to verify his landing at MWO, and then took off for IMS at 1735. The student reported that it got dark and he did not realize that he passed IMS. The student pilot stated he was lost until he saw a water tower. He circled the water tower and found out that he was in the unfamiliar town of Corydon. While he was circling Corydon, the engine sputtered and the pilot realized he ran out of gas. The pilot put the airplane into a controlled glide around 70 miles per hour and turned on his landing light. When he saw/felt/heard treetops hitting the plane, he held the nose up to reduce impact and eventually stalled. The airplane rested on top of trees for a moment, then flipped to the left and fell upside-down for about 100 feet. After landing upside-down, the pilot unbuckled his seat belt, exited the plane, and ran to the nearest house. The pilot, age 17, held a student certificate with an endorsement for a Cessna 150L. The pilot reported a total flight time of approximately 30 hours. The pilot had approximately 18 hours in the make and model of the accident aircraft, and approximately 5 logged hours of pilot-in-command. He had not logged any solo cross county time or night flight time. The reported weather at Bowman Field Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, located approximately 7 NM east of the accident, at 1853 was: Winds: 090 degrees at 7 knots Visibility: 10 statute miles Sky Conditions: Clear Temperature: 03 degrees Celsius Dew Point: -07 degrees Celsius Altimeter: 30.16 inches of mercury. According to the pilot report, the fuselage was torn at station (STA) 174, and buckled at STA 201 on the left side of the fuselage. The left wing was "crumpled", and the right wing was "crumpled" at STA 84 outwards. Both the stabilizers were "crumpled." The pilot also reported that tree trunks were skinned vertically above the aircraft, and small limbs from the tree were broken. A review of the student's Cross Country Navigation Log for the first leg of the flight showed a distance of 4 NM between IMS and the first checkpoint. The student estimated time en route (ETE) was 43 minutes with an estimated time of arrival (ETA) of 1627. The actual time en route (ATE) from IMS to the first checkpoint was reported as 6 minutes, and the actual time of arrival(ATA) as 1544. The student calculated a groundspeed of 90 knots for this waypoint. The distance from the first checkpoint to the second checkpoint was reported as 22 NM. The ETE was 27 minutes with an ETA of 1625. The ATE was 14 minutes with an ATA of 1558. The groundspeed calculated for this waypoint was 95 knots. The distance between the second checkpoint and the third checkpoint was reported as 20 nautical miles. The ETE was 21 minutes with an ETA of 1641. The ATE was 22 minutes with an ATA of 1620. The groundspeed calculated for this waypoint was 65 knots. The distance between the third checkpoint and the fourth checkpoint (MWO) was 23 NM. The student did not fill in any times for this waypoint portion of the leg. The Cross Country Navigation Log for the second leg of the flight showed a distance of 4 NM between MWO and the first checkpoint. The student ETE was 53 minutes with an ETA of 1823. The ATE was 5 minutes with an ATA of 1740. There were no additional entries for time and groundspeed for this leg of the flight. The distance between MWO and I19 is approximately 21 nautical miles (nm) and the distance between IMS and Corydon, Indiana, is approximately 48 nm.
The student pilot become lost during the cross country flight and the instructor's inadequate supervision of both the flight and preflight planning. This led to the in-flight loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, a forced landing, and impact with trees. Factors contributing to the accident were poor preflight planning, fuel exhaustion, inadequate training, night conditions, and the student's lack of cross country and night experience.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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