Cessna 150F accident near Fort Wayne, Indiana, September 26, 2015
On September 26, 2015 at about 7:45 am local time, a 1966 Cessna 150F, registered N6922F, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Fort Wayne, Indiana (Smith Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and fuel management, 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
- September 26, 2015 · about 7:45 am local time
- Place
- Fort Wayne, Indiana · Smith Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F, built 1966 · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6922F · no longer on the register · serial 15063522
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot stated that he departed on a series of local flights with about 1 hour, 10 minutes of fuel onboard. The pilot stated that he made two 15-minute flights, and, about 1 minute after takeoff on the third flight, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot performed a forced landing, during which the airplane struck a power line, a house, and terrain. Examination of the fuel tanks revealed no useable fuel; neither tank was breached during the accident. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot miscalculated the total amount of fuel onboard and, thus, the total flight time before fuel exhaustion.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 223.8 hours in all; 208.8 in this make and model; 7.3 in the last 90 days; 2.9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,443.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 29, 2015; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 3,425 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SMD Fort Wayne IN
- Destination: SMD Fort Wayne IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 am from FWA, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.