Accident Overview
On February 15, 2020, at approximately 1300 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150M airplane, registered as N714ER, was substantially damaged following a loss of engine power near Wadsworth, Ohio. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that while on approach to land on runway 20 at the Wadsworth Municipal Airport, the airplane's engine lost power. The airplane subsequently landed about 300 yards short of the runway. The impact resulted in substantial damage to an engine mount.
Fuel Status
Prior to departure, the pilot visually checked the fuel tanks and estimated a total of 7 gallons of fuel. The airplane flew two legs, totaling slightly over one hour of flight time. After the accident, a local mechanic drained approximately 2 gallons of fuel from the airplane. According to the airplane's type certificate data sheet, 3.5 gallons of fuel are considered unusable. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors were unable to find any evidence that the airplane had been refueled prior to the accident flight.
Probable Cause
The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.