Cessna 150 accident near Dexter, Missouri, October 5, 2015
On October 5, 2015 at about 9:30 am local time, a 1966 Cessna 150, registered N3174J, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Dexter, Missouri (Dexter Muni 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 impairment due to the ingestion of alcohol, which impaired his decision-making and resulted in his taking off and flying the airplane until the engine lost 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
- October 5, 2015 · about 9:30 am local time
- Place
- Dexter, Missouri · Dexter Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 G, built 1966 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N3174J · no longer on the register · serial 15065874
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was flying the airplane on a local night flight; the airplane was subsequently located in a heavily wooded area, and it had impacted trees, brush, and terrain and come to rest upright. The pilot reported that he had no recollection of the accident. The pilot did recall waking up inside the airplane after the accident and that it was dark outside and that the weather was not an issue. An examination of the airplane revealed that there was no fuel in either wing fuel tank, and no evidence of fuel was found around the accident site. Examination of the airplane, engine, and systems revealed no evidence of any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Analysis of the pilot's blood and urine samples revealed that he had a blood alcohol level of 0.075% 3 hours after the accident. Based on the elimination rate of alcohol from the system, his blood alcohol level would have been between about 0.11% and 0.13% at the time of the accident, which would have impaired his decision-making abilities and psychomotor performance. Marijuana was detected in urine; however, confirmation testing was not performed, so the investigation was unable to determine if the pilot's use of marijuana before the flight enhanced his impairment or contributed to the accident. It is likely that alcohol ingestion impaired the pilot's decision-making abilities and led to his taking off and flying the airplane until the engine lost power due to 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
- Fuel exhaustion during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Alcohol › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,412 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 29, 2015; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 2,412 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DXE Dexter MO at 9:00 am
- Destination: DXE Dexter MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from KPOF, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on January 8, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Map of Accident Location | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Summary | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Medical Factual Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.