Cessna 150 accident near South Naknek, Alaska, June 24, 2002
On June 24, 2002, a Cessna 150, registered N3025X, was substantially damaged in an accident near South Naknek, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to refuel the airplane resulting in fuel exhaustion in cruise flight, and his inadvertently stalling the airplane during the ensuing emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2002
- Place
- South Naknek, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N3025X · no longer on the register · serial 15064425
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had been on a cross country flight for about 3.5 hours when the airplane's engine lost power. He said he restarted the engine, and initiated a climb to gain altitude. With the destination airport in sight, the airplane's engine again lost power, and would not restart. The pilot decided the airplane would not make it to the airport, and he banked the airplane steeply to align it with a road perpendicular to the route of flight. About 20 feet above the road, the airplane "fell out" and impacted the roadway. The airplane bounced off of the roadway, and impacted the terrain inverted. The pilot said he had a favorable tailwind during the flight, and therefore, he did not make a planned intermediate fuel stop. He said he planned the flight using a straight fuel burn of 5.5 gallons per hour, and had 26 gallons of fuel in the airplane's tanks for the flight. The Cessna owner's manual states that 22.5 gallons of the airplane's 26 gallon fuel capacity are usable, and that at 71% cruise power, the engine burns 5.3 gallons per hour, but at higher power settings the engine may burn as much as 7.2 gallons per hour. The pilot did not factor in a variable fuel burn rate for engine start, taxi, run-up, takeoff, and climb. The engine was mounted postaccident on a test stand, and ran at full rated rpm.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 168 hours in all; 167 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 110 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,135 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 2002; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Merrill Field AK at 4:00 pm
- Destination: WSN South Naknek AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.54 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.