Cessna 120 N2550N
17 July 1997 · Napoleon, Ohio, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 17 July 1997 at about 19:50 local time, a Cessna 120 registered N2550N was involved in an accident near Napoleon, Ohio, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Napoleon, Ohio, United States
- Nearest airport
- Henry County (OH17)
- Coordinates
- 41.3895, -84.1204
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120
- Registration
- N2550N
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC97LA147
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to take off with inadequate fuel.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During the initial climb after takeoff, the engine lost power, and the pilot performed a forced landing. The pilot stated that the airplane did not experience any problems prior to the loss of power, and that the fuel selector valve was set to 'BOTH.' During the preflight, he visually checked the fuel gages, which incorporated a 'gray area' to indicate an inadequate fuel load for takeoff. Fuel gage indications were 'just above the gray area.' Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a fuel spill, nor any mechanical malfunction. The right fuel tank was empty, and the left fuel tank contained about 1/2 gallon of fuel.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 120 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct 1997 | Cessna 120 | Mineral Wells, West Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Oct 1997 | Cessna 120 | Prince George, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jun 1997 | Cessna 120 | Hollister, California, United States | Gregory Dennis | No injuries | - |
| 4 Sep 1996 | Cessna 120 | Nampa, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Dec 1998 | Cessna 120 | Omak, Washington, United States | Marsh, Travis, V. | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jun 1996 | Cessna 120 | Rimrock, Washington, United States | Lynn L. Harden | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Feb 1997 | Piper J3C-65 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Mar 1997 | Piper PA-24-250 | Bowling Green, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 1997 | Cessna 172 | Middletown, Ohio, United States | Barbara F. Schmidt | No injuries | - |
| 4 May 1997 | Marsh-Turner BG-12A | Marion, Ohio, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 30 Apr 1997 | Cessna 177 | Lancaster, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 May 1997 | Pitts S1C | Salem, Ohio, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |