Cessna 150M accident near Sinton, Texas, March 7, 2018
On March 7, 2018 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1974 Cessna 150M, registered N66786, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Sinton, Texas (Alfred C Thomas Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate service and repair of the airplane's carburetor, which led to a partial loss of engine power during takeoff and resulted in a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 2018 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sinton, Texas · Alfred C Thomas Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M, built 1974 · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N66786 · registry record · serial 15076279
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that after conducting a touch-and-go landing, the airplane's engine experienced a partial loss of power near the end of the runway. The airplane was unable to gain altitude, so he landed in an open field. During the forced landing, the airplane's engine mount was bent. According to the pilot, the airplane's carburetor was full of carbon and that the exhaust pipe was black from carbon buildup. Although it is unlikely that the black material in the carburetor was carbon, the excessive buildup within the carburetor would have adversely affected the engine's performance. The pilot stated that the carburetor was unable to properly regulate the fuel/air mixture due to the excessive buildup, corrosion in and on the main nozzle, and basic wear and tear, which caused the engine to flood and experience a partial loss of engine power. A review of the airplane's maintenance logbook showed that the carburetor had not been rebuilt since it was installed in 1974, about 44 years before the accident. Thus, it is likely that inadequate service and repair of the airplane's carburetor led to partial loss of engine power.
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 initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Not serviced/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 98 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 1,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,727.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 3,882 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T69 Sinton TX at 4:30 pm
- Destination: T69 Sinton TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,323 ft by 55 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from CRP, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on August 9, 2019. 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 | Pilot Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot's Letter to NTSB Iic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Marvel Schebler Service Bulletin | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Log | PDF, 6 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.