SEA00LA176

Factual narrative

On September 13, 2000, approximately 0815 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 150H, N22237, registered to Ontario Aviation Inc. of Ontario, Oregon, was substantially damaged in a forced landing attempt following a loss of engine power on climbout from a touch-and-go takeoff from the Ontario airport. The commercial pilot/flight instructor received minor injuries, and a dual student was not injured in the crash. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the 14 CFR 91 local instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that the engine lost power after takeoff from runway 32, which resulted in an off-airport landing and nose gear collapse with damage to the engine area of the aircraft. On his NTSB accident report, he reported that the flight departed at 0745, about 30 minutes before the time he reported the accident happened. The instructor did not indicate how much fuel was on board the aircraft at the time of the last takeoff. An FAA inspector from the Boise, Idaho, Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), who assisted in the NTSB accident investigation, reported that the student pilot told him that on preflight, the aircraft's fuel gauges each indicated 1/4 tank. The inspector reported that the flight instructor told him he checked the aircraft fuel tanks with a measuring device on preflight, and estimated they were both 1/2 full. The inspector reported that the training flight consisted of some air work followed by several touch and go takeoffs and landings. The FAA inspector stated that on the third touch and go, upon reaching the end of runway 32 at an altitude of 100 feet and airspeed of 65 to 70 knots, the engine quit developing power and the instructor took control of the aircraft and attempted a forced landing in a mowed alfalfa field off the departure end of the runway. The FAA inspector reported that the aircraft "struck the field in a slightly nose down attitude at stalled airspeed", shearing the nose gear and supporting structure from the aircraft. The FAA inspector stated that in an interview with the instructor, the instructor told him that when he landed in the field, he flared the aircraft slightly high and the nose dropped as the aircraft touched down, resulting in touchdown in a nose-low attitude. The inspector reported that the student told him the total time of the entire training flight was 45 minutes. In a post-accident examination of the aircraft, a total of 2.5 quarts of fuel was recovered from the aircraft's fuel system. The aircraft has a total fuel capacity of 26 gallons, of which 3.5 gallons are unusable. The aircraft took off with between 1/4 and 1/2 fuel, and flew for about 30 to 45 minutes performing air work and touch-and-go landings before the accident. On the third touch-and-go takeoff, upon reaching the end of runway 32 at an altitude of 100 feet and airspeed of 65 to 70 knots, the aircraft's engine lost power. The instructor took control of the aircraft and attempted a forced landing in a mowed alfalfa field off the departure end of the runway. The instructor flared the aircraft slightly high and the nose dropped as the aircraft touched down, resulting in touchdown in a nose-low attitude that sheared the nose gear and supporting structure from the aircraft. In a post-accident examination of the aircraft, a total of 2.5 quarts of fuel was recovered from the aircraft's fuel system. The aircraft has a total fuel capacity of 26 gallons, of which 3.5 gallons are unusable. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12