Cessna 140 accident near Ravenswood, West Virginia, August 30, 1994
On August 30, 1994 at about 10:25 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N2150N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ravenswood, West Virginia (Jackson County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE POORLY PLANNED APPROACH WHICH RESULTED IN UNPORTING OF FUEL FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 1994 · about 10:25 pm local time
- Place
- Ravenswood, West Virginia · Jackson County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N2150N · registry record · serial 12386
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was doing touch and go landings. According to the pilot, during the approach '... a slip maneuver to the left was utilized with the left fuel tank selected.' The pilot stated that the landing was uneventful and he initiated a takeoff. The pilot stated that about 100 feet above the ground, the engine lost total power. The pilot tried to restart the engine to no avail. The airplane descended into trees and came to rest on foilage about six feet above the ground. Post-accident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies. An FAA inspector reported 'He [the pilot] believes that the slip maneuver caused a interruption of the fuel flow from that [left] tank.'
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: 524 hours in all; 504 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 484 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,102 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 1994; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; ovct at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:20 pm
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.