Engine failure and crash during return to destination

Casualties unknown • Tucson, AZ, US

An aircraft experienced an engine failure while returning from a round-robin flight, resulting in a crash approximately 25 miles short of the destination airport.

What happened

While returning from a round-robin flight, the pilot notified air traffic control that the engine had quit. The aircraft crashed approximately 2FL5 miles short of its destination airport. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. At the time of the event, the ambient temperature was approximately 27 degrees above standard.

The investigation

An examination of the wreckage revealed that the aircraft contained less than the unusable amount of fuel. Based on the pilot's account of the sequence of events, and noting that climb performance and fuel leaning procedures were performed properly, fuel calculations determined the flight could have been completed with approximately 1.3 gallons of fuel remaining, though this amount was short of the required fuel reserves.

Probable cause

The engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion, as the aircraft ran out of usable fuel before reaching the destination.

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Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1992-06-12 Cessna 150 accident near Tucson, AZ?

An aircraft experienced an engine failure while returning from a round-robin flight, resulting in a crash approximately 25 miles short of the destination airport.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1992-06-12 involved a Cessna 150, registration N6972G, operated by Double Eagle Aviation, at Tucson, AZ.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion, as the aircraft ran out of usable fuel before reaching the destination.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001211X14902. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.

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