Cessna 150C accident near Deland, Florida, March 17, 2004
On March 17, 2004 at about 4:26 pm local time, a Cessna 150C, registered N2080Z, was destroyed in an accident near Deland, Florida (Bob Lee Flight Strip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to detect water in the fuel system during the preflight inspection, which precipitated a loss of engine power during initial climb, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed resulting in a stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2004 · about 4:26 pm local time
- Place
- Deland, Florida · Bob Lee Flight Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150C · all 150Cs on the register
- Registration
- N2080Z · no longer on the register · serial 15059880
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The unqualified pilot departed on a VFR local personal flight with one passenger. Witnesses reported a normal takeoff, but during the initial climb, they indicated the engine started running rough, and the airplane started a right turn toward the airport. The witnesses said the engine then quit completely, the airplane banked sharply to the left, and descended straight down, impacting the ground about 1/8 of a mile from the airstrip. The two occupants of the airplane were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed by impact and postcrash fire. The owner of the airplane, who is a certified aviation mechanic with inspector authorization, said the pilot was a friend who flew the airplane several days a week. He said the pilot fueled the airplane with auto gas prior to the flight, and that there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane he was aware of. The accident site was a level cultivated field. The airplane impacted the ground in an approximate 60 degree pitch down, and 30 degrees right wing low attitude. The gascolator was heat damaged, but remained intact. Upon opening the gascolator, about 1/2 ounce of water was found inside the glass bowl. The engine was examined, and no preaccident mechanical anomalies were found. The unqualified pilot did not possess an FAA airman certificate, and no record of any flight time or flight training was discovered during the investigation.
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
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,254 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 1J6 Bob Lee Fs FL at 3:26 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KDAB, 20 miles away
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.