Primary finding
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane contained 6 gallons of fuel before he departed to conduct three touch-and-go takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern. He did not add additional fuel because the airport’s fuel pump was inoperative. The pilot completed one landing and was departing again when, after reaching about 100 to 200 ft above ground level, the engine lost total power. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted a tree and came to rest in a heavily vegetated area, resulting in substantial damage. The airplane had an unusable fuel level of 3.5 gallons. Given the fuel quantity before the flight, it is possible that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel exhaustion; however, the airplane was not examined after the accident and the amount of fuel onboard at the time of the accident could not be determined.
Source record
Factual narrative
On May 26, 2019, about 1430 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150F, N8746S, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Garberville, California. The private pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to perform three touch-and-go practice takeoffs and landings. The pilot completed one landing and was subsequently departing from runway 36. After reaching about 100 to 200 feet above ground level (agl), the engine lost total power. The pilot turned the airplane to the east (right) to perform a forced landing on a river gravel/sandbar. The airplane impacted a tree, descended through the tree canopy, and came to rest in a heavily vegetated area. The airplane came to rest on a steep slope of the riverbank; the empennage separated from the fuselage and the wings remained attached and intact. The airplane was not recovered, and the amount of fuel onboard the airplane at the time of impact was not determined. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot did not refuel before departing because the fuel pump at the airport was inoperable. Although he knew that the fuel quantity was low, he thought there would be enough to complete the three takeoffs and landings. During the preflight inspection, he used a dipstick to determine that there were 6 gallons of fuel onboard. The Cessna 150 Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) stated that an airplane equipped with standard fuel tanks had a fuel capacity of 26 gallons, of which 3.5 gallons was unusable. The fuel consumption for the airplane was about 6 gallons per hour.