Cessna 120 accident near Pomona, Missouri, August 6, 2018
On August 6, 2018 at about 5:51 pm local time, a 1946 Cessna 120, registered N76524, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Pomona, Missouri. 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 pilot's inadequate fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2018 · about 5:51 pm local time
- Place
- Pomona, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120, built 1946 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N76524 · no longer on the register · serial 10958
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that he departed the airport for the local flight with both wing fuel tanks full of fuel and the fuel selector on the left tank. After flying for about 1 hour, he landed at the airport and departed again. When the airplane was about 500 ft above ground level, the pilot intended to change the fuel selector to the right fuel tank. However, he inadvertently switched the fuel selector to the off position, and the engine lost power. The pilot immediately switched the fuel selector back to the left fuel tank and attempted to restart the engine without success. He executed a forced landing to a field, and, during the landing rollout, the airplane collided with a fence and hay bale, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot mismanaged the fuel during flight, which resulted in fuel starvation.
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 starvation during initial climb defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,576 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 1, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,424.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 26, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,451 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A4B (piston); 4,424 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: UNO West Plains MO at 4:45 pm
- Destination: UNO West Plains MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from UNO, 2 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 6, 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Passenger Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo of Damaged Airplane | PDF, 1 page | 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.