Cessna 150 accident near Waycross, Georgia, April 22, 2000
On April 22, 2000 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N60763, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waycross, Georgia (Waycross-Ware County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's inaccurate fuel consumption calculation that resulted in the total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the subsequent collision with a utility pole.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 2000 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Waycross, Georgia · Waycross-Ware County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N60763 · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he completed the preflight planning for the supervised solo cross-country flight that included a weather briefing. The student pilot was informed of the 35-knot headwind at his cruise altitude. The student pilot completed the preflight inspection of the airplane, which included topping-off the fuel tanks with aviation fuel. There were 22.5 gallons of fuel on board the airplane at takeoff and the student pilot estimated four hours of flight endurance to fuel exhaustion. Approximately three hours into the flight and 40 miles south of the planned refueling stop, the engine lost power. The student pilot attempted a forced landing to a nearby airport, but collided with a utility pole 1/4 mile south of the airport. No mechanical problems with the airplane were reported by the student pilot.
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: student
- Flight time: 230 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 22, 2000; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X61 Zellwood FL at 11:20 am
- Destination: Alma GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,230 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Observation at 3:53 pm from JAX, 45 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.