On June 16, 2005, a Cessna 150M (registration N9327U) was involved in an aviation accident near Marcelles, MI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the CFI's inadequate supervision and inadequate planning/decision. The student pilot's inadequate preflight planning was a contributing factor. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A student pilot and certified flight instructor experienced a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, resulting in a forced landing to a field. The student pilot had noted low fuel during preflight but did not inform the CFI.
Incident Overview
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a field after a loss of engine power. The aircraft was in cruise flight at 3,000 feet above mean sea level when the engine sputtered and quit. The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that they had been flying for about one hour prior to the event.
Pilot Reports
The CFI, who was instructing a student pilot, stated that he took control of the airplane after the engine failed. He determined that the airplane was out of fuel and executed a forced landing to a field. The student pilot reported that he had conducted the preflight and walk-around of the airplane. During the preflight, the student pilot noticed that the airplane was low on fuel but failed to inform the CFI that the airplane needed fuel before takeoff.
Findings
An inspection of the airplane revealed that the left fuel tank contained about one gallon of fuel and the right tank was empty. The forced landing resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.