Value Of an Engineless Cessna 150?

Aeric

Aeric

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Feb 9, 2012
Messages
639
Location
SF Bay Area (PAO)
Display Name
Display name:
Aeric
A few weeks ago I experienced an engine failure in my C-150. It started with engine roughness and smoke in the cabin. I looked back and saw a trail of blue smoke not unlike an airshow airplane. I hightailed it to the nearest airport and as I set up for downwind there was a total loss of power. I made announcements, did a short approach (there is a lot to be said for regular practice) and deadsticked it to what was a very nice landing and coasted clear of the runway. Two guys saw me and ran out to help pull my airplane to a local maintenance hangar (they said I should buy a lottery ticket :) ).
From my description it sounds as though a sticking (closed) valve had bent a pushrod, bending the pushrod tube, causing a massive oil leak, and things went badly from there. Whatever the cause, the passenger rear cylinder was almost detached from the case. I would imagine that the engine is scrap, save for some ancillary items.
I will not keep the airplane, and it's going to be a flying club and renting for a while (yippee :eek: ).
My question, what would the value be for a 1973 C-150, TTAF 7340, basic VFR, decent paint, great plexiglass? Last annual several months ago included many little (but expensive) items being corrected or replaced.
 
None really. A flying plane is sub $20k. With a blown engine, either scrap value or find a place with a running engine and swap it in. That's gonna be your best route.

I don't think there is any real value in the airframe though.
 
Well presuming it's not anything special, aerobat, patroller, etc.

I'd say with the engine core and prop, I'd say 5-6k or thereabouts.

Personally I'd try to find a running engine on barnstormers, Todd that in and keep/sell/whatever it.

Did you notify the APIA who just signed it off? How many hours since that annual?
 
I'd call insurance and talk about getting it fixed.
 
mkosmo said:
I'd call insurance and talk about getting it fixed.
Click to expand...

I don't think they cover a engine failure shy of shooting a piston out the side of the cowl, it would cut into their profit margins, reason 362 why insurance isn't the savior folks think it is.
 
James331 said:
I don't think they cover a engine failure shy of shooting a piston out the side of the cowl, it would cut into their profit margins, reason 362 why insurance isn't the savior folks think it is.
Click to expand...
That may be the case, but it can't hurt to talk to them. A lot of folks are scared senseless of talking to an adjuster.
 
Unit74 said:
None really. A flying plane is sub $20k. With a blown engine, either scrap value or find a place with a running engine and swap it in. That's gonna be your best route.

I don't think there is any real value in the airframe though.
Click to expand...
Done with the expenses for now, sure gonna miss the convenience though.
 
mkosmo said:
That may be the case, but it can't hurt to talk to them. A lot of folks are scared senseless of talking to an adjuster.
Click to expand...

For sure, take those bastards for every dime you can, just saying even with a lawyer I don't think that one is going to pay out.
 
James331 said:
Well presuming it's not anything special, aerobat, patroller, etc.

I'd say with the engine core and prop, I'd say 5-6k or thereabouts.

Personally I'd try to find a running engine on barnstormers, Todd that in and keep/sell/whatever it.

Did you notify the APIA who just signed it off? How many hours since that annual?
Click to expand...
This is around what I was thinking. Didn't notify the shop. About 100 hours since the annual.
 
Damn Aeric, sorry about your plane but glad you're okay!
 
James331 said:
BTW!

Forgot to say, regarding your engine out landing, well done sir!
Click to expand...
Thank you. It really hammered home the value of power-off approaches by my instructor. She'd pull the power and ask "can you make it?" I enjoyed these type of landings (when given permission at towered airports).
 
mkosmo said:
Well damn. Have a short story on why not?
Click to expand...
Just that it wasn't because of any external cause (foreign object or bird-strike), installed accessory failure, etc. The engine was also essentially at TBO as well.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Damn Aeric, sorry about your plane but glad you're okay!
Click to expand...
Thanks, it was an eerie experience, seeing the prop finally stop windmilling on final. I have been more frightened (bad lee-mountain turb and persistent carb ice at 10K, not good to have reduced power way up there). I was more PO'd, realizing my airplane was toast.
 
Aeric said:
I did that, long story short, it's not covered.
Click to expand...

Which is really kind of sad, because insurance companies should really be paying for it in this situation with a smile.
You had mechanical failure in flight and successfully handled it. If you had balled it up short of the runway they would have paid. Possibly with medical bills and other liability, so in effect you saved the insurance company a pile of money at your own expense.

Unfortunately that is the way it works until they figure out a better system.

Brian
 
brcase said:
Which is really kind of sad, because insurance companies should really be paying for it in this situation with a smile.
You had mechanical failure in flight and successfully handled it. If you had balled it up short of the runway they would have paid. Possibly with medical bills and other liability, so in effect you saved the insurance company a pile of money at your own expense.

Unfortunately that is the way it works until they figure out a better system.

Brian
Click to expand...
My thinking as well...
Or I could have set it down in an artichoke field and they would have paid for the disassembly and removal (the adjuster said THAT would have been covered).
 
First, WELL DONE handling the engine out! I'm really sorry about your airplane, you are in a tough spot. Not worth much the way it sits, like others said, find a used engine and you would probably come out better.
 
James331 said:
I don't think they cover a engine failure shy of shooting a piston out the side of the cowl, it would cut into their profit margins, reason 362 why insurance isn't the savior folks think it is.
Click to expand...
If the engine in your car throws a seven, would you call the insurance company!? Of course not! No different on the airplane. How many hours on the engine? Who overhauled it? When? Maybe it was worn out! When you buy a used airplane , car, etc, your flipping a coin. Caveat emptor baby!
 
Mike Smith said:
First, WELL DONE handling the engine out! I'm really sorry about your airplane, you are in a tough spot. Not worth much the way it sits, like others said, find a used engine and you would probably come out better.
Click to expand...
Logical, but I'll just rent for a while, I can't stop flying.
 
Jimmy cooper said:
If the engine in your car throws a seven, would you call the insurance company!? Of course not! No different on the airplane. How many hours on the engine? Who overhauled it? When? Maybe it was worn out! When you buy a used airplane , car, etc, your flipping a coin. Caveat emptor baby!
Click to expand...
About 1700 SMOH, overhauled many years ago. A couple of new cylinders about 500 hours ago.
 
Aeric said:
Thank you. It really hammered home the value of power-off approaches by my instructor. She'd pull the power and ask "can you make it?" I enjoyed these type of landings (when given permission at towered airports).
Click to expand...

Nice job on the landing.

Every approach/landing I do is power off from abeam the numbers. It's great practice. Never thought to ask tower for permission, I just fly them all that way.
 
Aeric said:
My thinking as well...
Or I could have set it down in an artichoke field and they would have paid for the disassembly and removal (the adjuster said THAT would have been covered).
Click to expand...

Ironic that a lesser pilot who landed in a treetop would actually be getting some help from the insurance company.
 
Jimmy cooper said:
If the engine in your car throws a seven, would you call the insurance company!? Of course not! No different on the airplane. How many hours on the engine? Who overhauled it? When? Maybe it was worn out! When you buy a used airplane , car, etc, your flipping a coin. Caveat emptor baby!
Click to expand...

Actually it's the fresh new engines wich have the higher failure rate.
 
Actually it's not but in this case it was a high time engine,probably run to death over the years with a couple of fresh cylinders added here and there. I've never had a recently rebuilt or relatively new engine quit but I have had a high time engine like this quit. I don't see why he's surprised or how he possibly thought it was covered by insurance. The only other failure I experienced was a lousy mechanics failure to properly clean a fuel filter on a mooney. The low time engine was just fine.,
 
So you're saying new or 0 TSMOH don't have a higher failure rate compared to engines with more hours on them?

Really.....tell me more
 
Jimmy cooper said:
I don't see why he's surprised or how he possibly thought it was covered by insurance.
Click to expand...
I wasn't surprised that it wasn't covered, just asked with the suggestion of someone in aviation. A bit surprised it failed catastrophically though...
 
Not that I would expect insurance to pay for a blown engine but it a sad state of affairs when he would have been better off financially coasting it into the side of a hangar after touchdown!
 
James331 said:
So you're saying new or 0 TSMOH don't have a higher failure rate compared to engines with more hours on them?

Really.....tell me more
Click to expand...
The only thing you really need to do to understand this try to buy new/freshly overhauled engine.
or simply tell me how much you deduct from the Vref for a run out.
 
It's a pity that the lowly C-150 doesn't have a retail value high enough to replace the engine. Think about it, a paint job on one is more than the list prices of a good 150
Rebuild for the 0-200 is near $15 grand. add fire wall forward and you are in the $20k range. So if you don't have a really pristine example figure on scrapping the aircraft when the engine quits.
and to add insult to injury the scrap yards aren't taking them any more, simply because the yards are full of inventory and the fleet is shrinking.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top