NTSB Factual Report

On January 31, 2001, at 2201 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150J, N60336, collided with a commercial building while maneuvering for a forced landing in Concord, North Carolina. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane received substantial damage; the pilot and his passenger received minor injuries. The flight departed Petersburg, Virginia, at an undetermined time; the flight was enroute to Charlotte, North Carolina.

According to the pilot, while enroute to Charlotte, North Carolina, at approximately 10,000 feet, the engine lost power and quit. The pilot declared an emergency and was issued radar vectors to the Concord Regional Airport by Charlotte Approach Control. As the pilot maneuvered for the forced landing, the airplane collided with a commercial building two miles short of the airport.

According to the pilot, he attempted to transfer fuel from the auxiliary tank when the engine started losing power. Efforts to restore full power failed, but there were brief periods when the engine regained power before shutting down completely. According to the supplemental type certificate for the auxiliary fuel tank installed in this airplane, fuel transfer to the main fuel tank must start when the main fuel tank is 2/3 full. The examination of the airplane at the accident site disclosed that the auxiliary fuel tank was full. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunction during the flight. Examination of the airframe and power plant did not disclose any mechanical malfunctions or defects.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilots failure to follow the auxiliary fuel tank procedures, which resulted in the fuel starvation and the loss of engine power.