ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 385865
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| Date: | Friday 25 May 2001 |
| Time: | 15:20 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 150H |
| Owner/operator: | Louis Elsworth Fricke Trust |
| Registration: | N23474 |
| MSN: | 15068974 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1968 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1830 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-A4A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Mariposa, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Los Angeles-Whiteman Airport, CA (WHP/KWHP) |
| Groveland, CA (Q68) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion after 2.1 hours of flight and 16-miles before reaching the intended destination. The pilot attributed the fuel exhaustion to an interruption that occurred during his (self) fueling of the aircraft, which resulted in the fuel tanks not being totally full on takeoff. As he was filling the left wing fuel tank before takeoff, the pilot was interrupted by another pilot who asked his assistance with operation of the self-fueling equipment. He completed filling the left tank and stopped to assist the other pilot. He returned to his airplane about 10 or 15 minutes later, filled the right-wing tank, and departed. The pilot believed that, during the interruption, a portion of the fuel in the left tank flowed across the aircraft to the right tank and, after he filled the right tank, the left tank was approximately 5 gallons below capacity. He reported making the same trip regularly. Assuming a zero to 5-knot headwind, the trip routinely required 20.3 or 20.4 gallons to complete. The aircraft had been modified to install a larger engine than the original and had a 24-gallon usable fuel capacity. The pilot reported that, on past flights at the same altitude and power setting, the engine consumed 9.17 gallons per hour (2.6 hours endurance).
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to properly refuel the aircraft which resulted in departure with an inadequate quantity of fuel onboard. A factor in the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight preparation and planning, which failed to provide an adequate fuel reserve for the flight intended.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX01LA192
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Apr-2024 08:39 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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