Fuel Exhaustion & Starvation · NTSB CEN16LA236
CESSNA 150L — Detroit, MI
| Date | June 28, 2016 |
| Location | Detroit, MI |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 150L |
| Purpose of flight | Banner Tow |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Landing Off-field or emergency landing |
| Pilot age | 18 |
| Pilot total time | 1,120 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | 207 hrs |
| Fatalities | 0 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Related operating info - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Fuel planning-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level - C
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Wire-Contributed to outcome
What happened
The commercial pilot was conducting a banner-tow flight. He reported that the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power after being airborne for at least 3 hours 9 minutes. He informed the tower controller of his emergency, released the banner, and conducted a forced landing to a nearby street. The airplane collided with a power line during the forced landing. The pilot reported that he had used a higher-than-normal engine power setting to maintain altitude throughout the accident flight.
A postaccident examination of the fuel system established that the left fuel tank was empty, that the right fuel tank contained residual fuel, and that the gascolator contained a few ounces of fuel. A subsequent test run established that there were no anomalies with the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
The operator had a policy that limited all banner-tow flights in the accident airplane to 3 hours or less to avoid fuel exhaustion. The operator also noted that environmental considerations, such as operating at a high-density altitude and/or in windy conditions, could require a higher-than-normal engine power setting and increased fuel consumption. Additionally, the operator told its pilots that banner-tow flights operating in such conditions should be reduced to between 2 hours 30 minutes and 2 hours 45 minutes. The pilot had received a verbal briefing within a month of the accident that covered the operator's policy regarding the maximum allowable flight duration in the accident airplane while towing banners and acknowledged knowing these procedures.