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Nathan's right. Monday mornin' quarterbackin' is too easy.

Running out of gas is too easy, too. Otherwise, it wouldn't happen so often.

I agree Ed but when was the last time you heard of a Commertial Flight running out of gas. Totally preventable... The only time there's too much gas in a plane is when it's on fire!

Dave

Or on a hot, humid day with a passenger and a short runway that has trees at the end.

At today's repair and parts costs it sounds like the airframe is probably toast. If he didn't have insurance I'm guessing this will be a pretty expensive lesson. Thank goodness he wasn't injured.

These kinds of accidents are a testimony to the fact that many folks are incapable of learning from the mistakes of others. A calibrated wooden paint stick and some basic math will tell a pilot everything necessary about his fuel quantity situation prior to takeoff...and the paint sticks are free!

It nearly happened to me bringing my plane home from New York! Stupid mistake! Nobody to blame but myself. The airplane (and gauges) operated flawlessly.

I had been flying all day, and had stopped for fuel. I started this leg with full tanks and had planned the late afternoon cross country flight with adequate reserves and several good alternates. I would be on the ground just before dark. An hour or so after takeoff, my ground speed showed headwinds stronger than predicted, and if they continued, they would soon be eating into my reserves over the destination. Already half-way through the flight, I didn't want to waste fuel searching for more (or less) favorable winds at altitude. I throttled back and leaned for best power trying to stretch my endurance, thinking I could still reach my destination with "adequate" reserve. Once closer to my destination than to any alternate, headwinds increased still further, and ground speed decreased to what seemed like a crawl. Now burning my reserves and already tired, I wasn't thinking clearly, and realized my mistake too late (endurance doesn't mean range). I could stay in the air longer, but I wouldn't travel as far! Traffic on the interstate below passed me with ease. It was now after sunset, the guages showed empty, and I was still 10 miles from the airport. The headwinds finally diminished some, and I set up for a long straight in descending approach from cruise altitude with the engine not much more than idling.

I checked the tanks after landing. Bone dry! There wasn't enough fuel in the gascolator to drain! I had literally landed and taxied to the pumps on fumes... AND AT NIGHT! I'm sure that if the airport had been another mile away, or the pilot controlled lighting hadn't worked, I would have landed off field, and without visual reference! It definately wasn't intelligence that put me here like this, or skill that saved me from becoming another statistic...!

Eric -
In some terms I agree but your logic is flawed...
Actually sounds like one too many PHAT A$$e$ in the plane - So the debate becomes - Passengers? or Fuel? Only one is essential for flight in a 150...

I have a friend who isn't fat - just a really big guy - weighs 320 - and have told him a number of times we can't go together... 170 (ME) + 320 (HIM) = No Fuel, No Oil, No cargo, No radios, and still over gross....

Lets face it - Even at 4.10 a gallon or more it's the cheapest thing we buy for our airplanes..

Dave

I know, that was kind of a sarcastic answer. I treat my plane like a motorcycle. It almost never is below 1/2 tank(s) of fuel. Fortunately, I got to learn that lesson as a teenager when poor fuel management only meant a tiring and embarassing push down the side of the road. My distrust of fuel guages was well entrenched before ever sitting in a plane.

However, I was taught as a student that if necessary you can take off from said airport with the short runway on a hot day with enough fuel (plus at least a 1/2 hour reserve) to fly directly to the nearest airport which is more suitable and fill up. That might be a wiser choice than pushing your luck with the take-off perfomance of the plane. Personally, I've never been in that situation.

Eric -
Sarcasm is welcome.... I was halfway sarcastic too.. And I regularly fly into my farm with 1/2 tank on purpose... Lucky for me KMFV is only about 6 miles away so if I'm going to go very far it's off to KMFV for fuel before I go...

What it boils down to is the decision making process as Carl has illustrated in his event we are all, even the wise such as the great Carl Chitwood, venerable to external factors and pressures... When in doubt - err on the side of caution...

Dave

I think one of the main contributing factor was autogas.
How many C-150 owners use autogas? Buying it at the gas station
and take it to the hanger, and never gas up at a distant airport
because only 100LL was available. I agree with Carl, IT COULD HAPPEN TO MY!!! Lets all stay vigilant.
Jim

OH NO!

NOT AUTOGAS!

Let's not confuse the issue! This guy had a flaw in his decision making, period (just like I did)! It had nothing to do with what fuel he (or I) was using, or wanted to use.

By the way, I, like many others here, do use autogas when it's available, but I would never miss a needed fuel stop because it's NOT available. If I miss a needed fuel stop, it's shear stupidity (I've already proven that)!