Incident Summary
Approximately four miles from the airport, the engine of a general aviation airplane slowed and then stopped, according to the pilot. The pilot established best glide speed and executed a forced landing into an agricultural field, which he described as freshly plowed and muddy.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that the engine failure occurred without warning, necessitating the immediate forced landing. He managed to land the airplane safely in the field, avoiding any apparent structural damage beyond the landing itself.
Post-Accident Inspection
A subsequent inspection of the aircraft revealed that both wing fuel tanks contained no usable fuel. The tanks were not ruptured, indicating that the fuel had been consumed or otherwise depleted during the flight. The accident airplane had been fueled with 24.7 gallons of fuel approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident flight. According to manufacturer specifications, the usable fuel capacity for a Cessna 150 is 24.5 gallons, and the fuel endurance for a Cessna 152 at maximum cruise power at 2,000 feet above mean sea level is 3.25 hours. The flight duration from departure to the accident was 4 hours and 10 minutes.
Fuel Considerations
The fueling records show that the aircraft received 24.7 gallons shortly before departure, which is slightly above the typical usable capacity. The flight time of 4 hours and 10 minutes exceeded the endurance figure provided for a comparable aircraft operating at maximum cruise power. However, no further analysis or conclusions are drawn from these data points.