Cessna 150F accident near Ferdinand, Indiana, June 19, 2018
On June 19, 2018 at about 2:45 am local time, a 1966 Cessna 150F, registered N3002X, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Ferdinand, Indiana (Huntingburg airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat in conditions conducive to the accumulation of carburetor icing, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2018 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Ferdinand, Indiana · Huntingburg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F F, built 1966 · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3002X · no longer on the register · serial 15064402
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot and passenger were on a cross-country personal flight at 2,500 ft mean sea level and were about 15 miles north of their destination airport. They began the descent, and during the descent, the engine sputtered, followed by a total loss of power. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the loss of power but was unsuccessful; however, he did not apply carburetor heat during the troubleshooting. Subsequently, the pilot made a forced landing to a parking lot. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted an embankment and nosed over. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that fuel was present in the fuel tanks and the fuel lines to the carburetor. Examination revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of serious carburetor icing at glide power settings. It is likely that, during the descent, carburetor ice accumulated due to the pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat, which resulted in the 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 (total) during approach defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Not used/operated
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,009 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 947 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 25, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors O-200A (piston); 1,984 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CWA Mosinee WI at 10:00 pm
- Destination: TEL Tell City IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from KHNB, 4 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 August 23, 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, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Cessna 150 Owners Manual Excerpt - Performance | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Saib CE-09-35 - Carburetor Icing Prevention | PDF, 3 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.