Cessna 150M accident near Chapin, Illinois, August 17, 2000
On August 17, 2000 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N304JF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chapin, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 refuel the aircraft prior to the flight and exhaustion of the fuel supply. A factor to the accident was the embankment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 2000 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chapin, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N304JF · registry record · serial 15078655
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he 'Did engine run up and took off to the west. As soon as I started to climb the engine lost power. I [the pilot] put the nose down and the engine pickup power. As I started to nose up the engine lost power again.' The pilot subsequently attempted a forced landing and struck an embankment. The pilot's student pilot certificate and medical certificate had expired. The pilot listed no mechanical failure and described the failure as 'fuel starvation'. The pilot listed the fuel on board at takeoff as 3.0 gallons. The Cessna 150M owner's manual lists the total fuel capacity as 26.0 gallons, the usable fuel in all flight conditions as 22.5 gallons, and the unusable fuel as 3.5 gallons. A postaccident examination of the aircraft found that the right fuel tank had a trace of fuel, the left fuel tank had about 1/4 inch of fuel, and the firewall fuel filter was empty. No other anomalies were found that could be associated with a preexisting condition.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 167 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 30LL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: IJX Jacksonville IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from SPI, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.