Cessna 150M N7682U accident near Franklin, Pennsylvania

Probable cause

The pilots’ inadequate preflight fuel planning and in-flight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB analysis

During the first leg of a cross-country flight, the pilot observed that the fuel level indication was lower than expected. She elected to divert to a nearby airport where she topped off the airplane with 13 gallons of fuel, for a total fuel load of 22.5 usable gallons. About 3 ½ hours into the next leg of the flight, the pilot elected to divert to a closer airport to fuel the airplane again. As the pilot entered the airport traffic pattern, she overshot the final approach course and continued to circle for another attempt. During the maneuver, the engine lost all power and she was unable to troubleshoot due to the low altitude. The pilot then attempted to land on a taxiway, but during the landing flare the airplane struck a berm, collapsing the gear and substantially damaging the airframe before coming to rest.

A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that only the unusable quantity of fuel remained in the fuel tanks and no fuel was discovered in the gascolator. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident fuel consumption calculations for the takeoff and cruise portions of the accident flight also confirmed that available fuel quantity would have been exhausted at the time of the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA24LA101 for the full record.