Cessna 150L accident near Rockwall, Texas, June 17, 2009
On June 17, 2009 at about 1:15 am local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N66016, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Rockwall, Texas (Phillips Flying Ranch Airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control following a loss of engine power due to contamination in the carburetor. Contributing the severity of the accident was the pilot’s failure to utilize his shoulder harness.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2009 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Rockwall, Texas · Phillips Flying Ranch Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N66016 · no longer on the register · serial 15075777
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted terrain in a nose low attitude, shortly after departure, and came to rest inverted in an adjacent field. Examination of the airplane and flight controls revealed no anomalies. The signatures on both propeller blades were consistent with little or no power at the time of impact. Corrosion in the carburetor was indicative of the presence of continuous moisture in the carburetor. The local temperature was recorded as 32 degrees Celsius and the dew point was recorded as 22 degrees Celsius; conditions conducive for carburetor icing. The pilot had a history of right shoulder pain intermittently treated with prescription narcotic medication. Toxicology testing suggested that the pilot had used such medication on one or both of the two nights prior to the accident. It is possible that the pilot slept poorly as a result of shoulder pain or medication used to treat that pain, and that his performance during the emergency may have been impaired by resultant fatigue. The pilot did not routinely wear his shoulder harness due to his shoulder pain, and was not wearing it at the time of the accident. His fatal injuries likely resulted from impact with the instrument panel/control yoke, and would have been less probable had the harness been worn. The pilot’s shoulder pain and treatment for it had not been disclosed to the FAA.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Damaged/degraded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,733 hours in all; 163 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 8,340 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 4, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,378 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 20, 2008; 56 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KT48 Terrell TX at 1:15 am
- Destination: KTRL Terrell TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,344 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.