Cessna 150M accident near Arrow Rock, Missouri, August 24, 2012
On August 24, 2012 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N63672, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Arrow Rock, Missouri. 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 pilot's inadequate fuel management and in-flight decision making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2012 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Arrow Rock, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N63672 · no longer on the register · serial 15077473
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a local flight with enough fuel for the planned 1-hour flight. However, he flew longer than planned and exhausted the usable fuel as he was returning to land. The engine lost total power, and the pilot performed a forced landing in a pasture, during which the airplane’s fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot indicated that he purchased fuel at a local airport during his flight. However, personnel at that airport recalled that the accident airplane performed a touch-and-go landing, and the pilot did not stop or purchase fuel there. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no usable fuel in the fuel tanks or fuel strainer.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 385 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 15, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,320.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MHL Marshall MO at 1:30 pm
- Destination: MHL Marshall MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from DMO, 23 miles away
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.