Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and fuel planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that after about 45 minutes of flight, he noted the fuel gauges were not moving, so he returned to the airport. About half a mile from the airport the airplane “ran out of gas”. The pilot chose to conduct a forced landing to a road. During the landing the right landing gear struck a mailbox, and the left wing impacted a small tree before the airplane came to rest in a ditch. The airplane’s left wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both fuel tanks were empty.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN21LA191 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Apr 17, 2021
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Caro, Michigan
- Nearest airport
- (CFS)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 150
- N-number
- N22005
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1967
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.