Accident Details
On August 11, 2015, about 1550 central daylight time, a Cessna 150M airplane, registration N8896U, impacted terrain following a loss of engine power near Brookfield, Missouri. The private pilot and his passenger were uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial firewall damage. The flight was operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Flight History
The flight originated from Chillicothe Municipal Airport (CHT) about 1500, destined for North Central Missouri Regional Airport (MO8) near Brookfield. According to the pilot's report, he had departed MO8 earlier with fuel gauges indicating "half a tank." He planned to use 4.2 gallons of fuel and believed the airplane had 10 to 11 gallons onboard. He performed a touch-and-go landing at CHT and flew over a friend's house on the return. On final approach about one mile out, at 400 feet above ground level with flaps at 30 degrees and airspeed 75 knots, the engine sputtered and then stopped completely. The pilot executed emergency procedures and chose a suitable field to the left of final for landing.
Accident Site and Aircraft Recovery
The airport manager at MO8 was notified by the passenger about 1615. He observed the wreckage in a pasture; the landing rollout carried the airplane through a wire fence, and it came to rest on a gravel road in a tail-high, nose-low attitude. The nose landing gear separated. A small amount of fuel (estimated a few tablespoons) trickled from a dangling fuel line, with no significant accumulation.
Aircraft Information
N8896U was a 1976 model Cessna 150M, serial number 15078017. It was a single-engine, all-metal, high-wing airplane with fixed tricycle landing gear, accommodating two occupants. Standard fuel tanks hold 26 gallons; optional long-range tanks hold 38 gallons. Unusable fuel is 3.5 and 3 gallons respectively. The owner's manual directs pilots to visually check fuel tanks before flight. The last annual inspection was completed on August 8, 2015.
Post-Accident Examination
First responders observed about one gallon of fuel in the left tank, and the right tank was empty. FAA inspectors examined the recovered wreckage and found no usable fuel in the tanks. No preimpact anomalies that would have prevented normal engine operation were noted. The pilot later confirmed that he did not physically check fuel levels, relying only on the fuel gauges.