Cessna 150H accident near Columbia, Illinois, November 24, 2004
On November 24, 2004 at about 1:20 am local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N6932S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Columbia, Illinois (Sackman Field Airport). 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
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight. Factors were the unsuitable field encountered during the forced landing, the muddy field, and the dark night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 2004 · about 1:20 am local time
- Place
- Columbia, Illinois · Sackman Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N6932S · no longer on the register · serial 15067632
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage when the airplane nosed over during a forced landing at night to a field following a loss of engine power after about 2.8 hours of flight. The pilot reported he was on an IFR flight plan, but because the weather conditions were deteriorating at his destination airport, he elected to divert to an airport that was reporting VFR conditions. While he was on a radar vector for the ILS approach at 3,000 feet mean sea level, the engine lost power. He declared an emergency and requested a vector to the nearest airport. The engine restart was unsuccessful so he executed a forced landing to a muddy field. During landing rollout, the airplane nosed over. The lineman at the departure airport reported that he fueled the airplane with 10 gallons of fuel by putting 5 gallons of fuel in each wing tank. The lineman reported that both tanks were low on fuel and that "the fuel was splashing against the bottom of the tank." The inspection of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were intact and sealed shut, and 23 ounces of fuel were drained from the fuel tanks. No mechanical anomalies were identified. The pilot reported during a phone interview that he was not sure if he looked inside the fuel tanks after refueling at the departure airport.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,425 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 124 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,055 as pilot in command; 565 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 6, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,730 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEM Memphis TN at 10:30 pm
- Destination: SUS St. Louis MO
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 1:03 am from CPS, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.