Cessna 150 accident near Omaha, Nebraska, June 28, 2019
On June 28, 2019 at about 9:00 am local time, a 1972 Cessna 150, registered N5256Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Omaha, Nebraska (Millard Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2019 · about 9:00 am local time
- Place
- Omaha, Nebraska · Millard Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 L, built 1972 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N5256Q · no longer on the register · serial 15073156
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was on final approach to land after a 3-hour flight when the airplane's engine would not respond to throttle inputs then lost power. He attempted to restart the engine; however, he could not restore engine power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a road and the airplane's right wing struck a fence, resulting in substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that 2.5 to 3 gallons of fuel remained in the left fuel tank and the right tank was compromised during the accident. No anomalies were found with the airplane, engine, or fuel system that would have precluded normal operation. The cruise performance chart for the accident airplane model indicated that for a flight at 2,500 ft mean sea level, at 77% engine power should yield 3.9 hours of endurance. The pilot stated that he had topped off the fuel tanks at his departure airport and had flown about 3 hours at the time of the accident; however the airplane’s power setting and any potential headwinds are unknown. Based on the available information, it is likely that, with the low fuel level, when the pilot lowered the nose of the airplane during the approach, the fuel became unported and the engine lost power due to 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Fuel starvation during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 350 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,631 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 23, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MML Marshall MN at 6:00 am
- Destination: MLE Omaha NE
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 12, 3,801 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 am from KMLE, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 23, 2020. 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 | Record of Conversation with Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Record Excerpts | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpt from Airplane Owner's Manual | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage - NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.