Accident Details
On March 21, 2009, at 1730 central daylight time, a Cessna 150E (registration N4057U) was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Colombia, Mississippi. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The cross-country flight was conducted under Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.
Flight History
The pilot departed from a private airstrip near Colombia, Mississippi, at approximately 0800 with full fuel tanks. He flew to Natchez-Adams County Airport (HEZ), Natchez, Mississippi, arriving at approximately 0900 to pick up a passenger. The pilot and passenger then flew about one hour to Columbia-Marion County Airport (0R0), Columbia, Mississippi.
Before departing 0R0 for a return flight to HEZ, the pilot added 10.74 gallons of fuel, leaving approximately one and a half inches of space between the fuel and the top of each wing tank. He and the passenger departed 0R0 around 1500 and arrived at HEZ at 1600. The pilot dropped off the passenger and prepared for the return flight to 0R0. He checked the fuel gauges, which indicated half full on one and three-quarters full on the other, and determined he had enough fuel. He did not visually inspect the tanks or add more fuel, relying primarily on the gauges.
The pilot flew for about one hour before the engine lost power while on final approach to runway 5 at 0R0 at an altitude of 1,500 feet. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The pilot then performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane struck pine trees less than half a mile southwest of the airport, damaging the wing spars and firewall.
Wreckage Examination
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage and found that the fuel tanks were intact; the right tank was dry, and the left tank contained only a trace of fuel. Less than a pint of fuel was drained from the gascolator. The fuel selector was in the ON position, and the mixture and throttle were both full forward, indicating full power and rich mixture. The engine was rotated, and valve train continuity and compression were confirmed on all cylinders. No mechanical failures were identified or reported.
Additional Information
According to the Cessna 150E owner's manual, the fuel tanks had a total capacity of 26 gallons, including 3.5 gallons of unusable fuel. At 2,500 feet, the engine consumed 7.2 gallons per hour at full power with a properly leaned mixture. However, the pilot stated he kept the mixture full rich throughout the flight. The manual specifies leaning to maximum RPM during cruise.
An airport log from HEZ showed the airplane arrived at 1522 and departed at 1635. Fuel receipts from Columbia-Marion County Airport confirmed the purchase of 10.74 gallons of fuel on March 21, 2009, at 1152. The most recent annual inspection was completed on July 3, 2008, at a total aircraft time of 3,560 hours.
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land rating and had 858 total flight hours, 12 of which were in the Cessna 150E. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on January 8, 2009.
Weather reported at Pine Belt Regional Airport (PIB), 27 nautical miles east of 0R0, at 1735 included wind from 060 degrees at 5 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 24°C, dew point 3°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.25 inHg.