Accident Overview
On January 15, 2024, at 1448 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150M, registration N7682U, was substantially damaged during an accident at Venango Regional Airport (FKL), Franklin, Pennsylvania. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was seriously injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that she arrived at Beverly Regional Airport (BVY), Beverly, Massachusetts, at 0600 and performed a preflight inspection with no irregularities found. She began a solo cross-country flight under visual flight rules about 0730, planning multiple legs with a final destination of Coleman A Young Municipal Airport (DET), Detroit, Michigan. The pilot was accompanied by a pet pig weighing about 50 lbs.
Approximately 90 minutes into the flight, she diverted to Albany International Airport (ALB), Albany, New York, because the fuel quantity indicated lower than expected. After landing, she added 13 gallons of aviation fuel, bringing the total usable fuel to 22.5 gallons. She then resumed the flight toward Youngstown/Warren Regional Airport (YNG), Youngstown/Warren, Ohio, about 320 miles west of ALB.
According to ADS-B data, the pilot departed ALB about 1044. After about 3 hours and 30 minutes and 255 nautical miles, she diverted to FKL, which was about 40 nm closer than YNG, citing cheaper fuel prices. After notifying air traffic control, she began a descent for landing at FKL.
Sequence of Events
The pilot initiated a descent about 30 nm from the airport and entered the traffic pattern for runway 21. She overshot the final approach and continued circling over the airport. During the maneuver, the throttle stopped responding to any input, resulting in a total loss of engine power. Too low to troubleshoot, she attempted to land on taxiway F. However, before reaching the intended landing area, the airplane struck a berm to the east of the taxiway and came to rest.
Post-Accident Examination
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage. The fuselage was severely buckled from the main landing gear forward. Both fuel tanks remained intact; when drained, they contained a total of about 3.5 gallons of fuel. According to the pilot's operating handbook (POH), the unusable fuel is 3.5 gallons (the tanks have a 26-gallon capacity, with 22.5 gallons usable). The gascolator was empty. Engine powertrain continuity was confirmed via crankshaft rotation, and compression was sufficiently achieved on each cylinder. Spark plug electrodes appeared normal, and the magnetos produced spark at each post. The propeller remained intact with no gouges or chordwise scraping.
Fuel and Performance Data
ADS-B data showed the airplane's groundspeed during the en route phase averaged about 72 knots. Fuel calculations based on the POH indicated that at the pilot's cruising altitude of 4,000 to 5,000 ft mean sea level, a track of 255°, and calculated winds from 247° at 16 knots, the airplane would have an endurance of about 3.75 hours with full fuel tanks, dependent on mixture leaning. The ADS-B data showed the airplane was airborne for about 4 hours.