Event FTW95LA400

Factual narrative

On September 16, 1995, at 1345 central daylight time, a Cessna 150K, N5DT, nosed over during a forced landing near Victoria, Texas. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the private pilot was not injured. The personal flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 departed Halletsville, Texas, at 1320. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot reported he intended to fly from Frankston, Texas, to Corpus Christi, Texas, with a "fuel stop" in Victoria. "Fuel consumption was higher than normal" and he landed short of Victoria at Hallettsville, Texas, for a "rest stop and fuel check." He performed a "visual check" of the fuel tanks which showed "one quarter in each tank." The airport at Halletsville "was deserted" and the pilot elected to continue on to Victoria without refueling. While on base leg for landing on runway 17 at Victoria, the pilot saw another aircraft on a "four mile final." Following completion of a "360 [degree] turn for spacing," the engine lost power. The pilot landed the airplane short of the runway in a water-filled rice field and it nosed over. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the airplane came to rest inverted in approximately 18 inches of water. The firewall, engine mount, cowling, propeller and left wing tip were damaged. Water immersion prevented determination of the quantity of fuel in the wing tanks. According to the manufacturer's specifications for the airplane, "one quarter in each tank" equates to a total of 3 gallons usable fuel. Calculations based on the manufacturer's performance data indicated the 25 minute flight from Halletsville to Victoria required approximately 3 gallons of fuel. THE PILOT REPORTED HIS 'FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL' ON THE CROSS COUNTRY TRIP FROM FRANKSTON, TEXAS, TO VICTORIA, TEXAS. HE LANDED SHORT OF VICTORIA AT HALLETSVILLE AND PERFORMED A 'VISUAL' CHECK OF THE TANKS WHICH SHOWED 'ONE QUARTER IN EACH TANK.' THE HALLETSVILLE AIRPORT 'WAS DESERTED' AND HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE ON TO VICTORIA WITHOUT REFUELING. WHILE ON BASE LEG FOR LANDING AT VICTORIA, THE PILOT MADE A 360 DEGREE TURN FOR SPACING. UPON COMPLETION OF THE TURN, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE TO A WATER-FILLED RICE FIELD AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE AIRPLANE, 'ONE QUARTER IN EACH TANK' EQUATES TO A TOTAL OF 3 GALLONS USABLE FUEL. CALCULATIONS BASED ON THE MANUFACTURER'S PERFORMANCE DATA INDICATED THE 25 MINUTE FLIGHT FROM HALLETSVILLE TO VICTORIA REQUIRED APPROXIMATELY 3 GALLONS OF FUEL. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12