| Crash location | 35.253333°N, 81.606667°W |
| Nearest city | Shelby, NC
35.292351°N, 81.535646°W 4.8 miles away |
| Tail number | N7579U |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 13 Jun 2006 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 150M |
| Additional details: | None |
On June 13, 2006, at 0930 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N7579U, registered to and operated by an individual as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, collided with trees during a forced landing following a loss of engine power, in Shelby, North Carolina. The airplane received substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plane was filed. The student pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Greensboro Southeast Airport, Greensboro, North Carolina, on June 13, 2006, at 0830.
According to the student pilot, he departed Greensboro Southeast Airport enroute to Shelby Municipal Airport, Shelby, North Carolina. At about five miles from the airport the engine lost power and the student made an emergency landing on a road near Shelby. The student pilot stated that he turned the airplane to dodge an oncoming automobile, and the left wing struck a tree causing the airplane to spin into a ditch along side of the road, collapsing the nose gear and damaging both wings.
Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector found no fuel in the left or right fuel tanks. No fuel leaks were observed, and no fuel smell was evident.
The student pilot's improper preflight inspection and his failure to refuel the airplane resulting in fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power.