Cessna 150 accident near Rio Grande City, Texas, August 15, 2019
On August 15, 2019 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 150, registered N150CR, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Rio Grande City, Texas. 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 following an increase in oil temperature for undetermined reasons during cruise flight, which resulted in a forced landing on unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 2019 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rio Grande City, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 E, built 1965 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N150CR · no longer on the register · serial 15061245
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on a cross-country flight; about 20 minutes into the flight, the oil temperature gauge indicated a red line reading. The pilot reduced engine power, applied full rich mixture, and reduced airplane pitch in attempt to lower the oil temperature. The airplane was midway between the destination and the nearest airport, and the pilot elected to continue to the destination. The engine then started to run rough and lost all power. The pilot landed the airplane on an open area on hilly and wooded terrain where it impacted a rock pile and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the empennage and aft fuselage. Postaccident examination of the wreckage did not identify anything that would have caused the engine to overheat or 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 (partial) during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,127 hours in all; 440 in this make and model; 108 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 3,041 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 26, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,749.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 21, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TXW Weslaco TX at 9:35 pm
- Destination: Roma TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 104°F (40°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KMFE, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 27, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Communication Summary -- Inspector B. Fricker, FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Continental Motors | 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.