Cessna 150L N17254

Summary

On 17 January 2004 at about 00:30 local time, a Cessna 150L registered N17254 was involved in an accident near Corydon, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 January 2004 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Corydon, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

38.3572, -86.2147

Aircraft

Cessna 150L

Registration

N17254

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Middletown → Madison

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI04LA057

1 person had minor injuries.

The student pilot become lost during the cross country flight and the instructor's inadequate supervision of both the flight and preflight planning. This led to the in-flight loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, a forced landing, and impact with trees. Factors contributing to the accident were poor preflight planning, fuel exhaustion, inadequate training, night conditions, and the student's lack of cross country and night experience.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane collided with trees during a forced landing due to fuel exhaustion. The accident occurred during the student's first solo cross country flight. The flight was planned from the Madison Municipal Airport (IMS), Madison, Indiana, to the Hook Municipal Airport (MWO), Middletown, Ohio, with a return leg to IMS. The student reported that during the first leg he overflew MWO and landed at the Green-County-Jackson Regional Airport (I19), in Dayton, Ohio. I19 is approximately 21 nautical miles past MWO. After receiving directions, he departed I19 for MWO where he landed and had his logbook signed. The student then departed for IMS. The student stated that while en route it became dark. The student over shot IMS by about 48 nautical miles. The student stated he did not know where he was until he saw a water tower with an unfamiliar town name on it. The student reported the engine then quit due to fuel exhaustion. He stalled the airplane just above treetops in a wooded area during the forced landing. The airplane settled through the trees coming to rest inverted. The student pilot had a total of 30 hours of flight time, and no night flight time had been logged in his logbook. A review of the student's navigational logs for the flights showed they were not complete or accurate.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.