Cessna 150J accident near Spruce Pine, North Carolina, August 26, 1994
On August 26, 1994 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N50446, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spruce Pine, North Carolina. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A seized cylinder exhaust valve because of deposits on the valve and an oversized valve stem. The lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 1994 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Spruce Pine, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N50446 · no longer on the register · serial 15069309
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TREE COVERED TERRAIN, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. IT CONTINUED TO DECREASE TO IDLE AS THE PILOT GLIDED THE ACFT TO A SMALL CLEARING. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED UPSLOPE, ROLLED OVER A HILL, AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED BEFORE COLLIDING WITH TREES. THERE WAS NO BRAKING FRICTION BECAUSE OF WET GRASS. DURING A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION, A STUCK EXHAUST VALVE WAS FOUND IN THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER. THE HEAD OF THE VALVE STEM WAS DISCOLORED AND HAD THE APPEARANCE OF A VARNISH-LIKE COATING. MEASUREMENTS OF THE VALVE STEM AND GUIDE SHOWED THAT THE STEM WAS 0.0075 MICROMETERS LARGER THAN THE GUIDE. FOURTEEN MONTHS EARLIER A VALVE HAD STUCK IN THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER. SINCE THE AVAILABILITY OF THE AUTO FUEL STC, THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OPERATED ABOUT 25%-50% OF ITS HOURS WITH AUTO FUEL. RECENT CYLINDER COMPRESSION CHECKS HAD BEEN WITHIN LIMITS.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 154 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 2,800 as pilot in command; 1,550 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,324 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 20, 1994; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Eagle Wings Aviation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 pm from TRI, 30 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.