Cessna 150L accident near Salem, Illinois, June 28, 2007
On June 28, 2007 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N11419, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salem, Illinois. It was an instructional 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 exhaustion which resulted in a forced landing. Additional causes were the certified flight instructor's inadequate preflight supervision. Factors contributing to the accident were the disorientation encountered by the pilot, the deteriorating visibility, and the tree encountered on landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2007 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Salem, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N11419 · no longer on the register · serial 15075406
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during cruise. The student pilot stated that she had been practicing maneuvers during a local solo flight for approximately two hours and decided to return to the airport to land. While she was returning to the airport, she became disoriented and "lost [her] way." She stated that she was looking for any airport to land at, "because the visibility was deteriorating." The student pilot reported that the airplane was "getting low on fuel," and the engine "suddenly" shut off and started again. The student pilot decided to find suitable off airport terrain to land. She reported that she landed on a "grass strip" which was the only place that she could find to land, and the airplane subsequently struck a tree and the nose gear collapsed. The pilot stated in her accident report that there was 11.5 gallons of fuel on board at the last takeoff. Examination of the airplane after the accident noted that about 15 total ounces of fuel were drained from the fuel strainer on the firewall, the right fuel tank, and the left fuel tank.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 21 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,608 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airgo Inc
The flight
- Departed from: ENL Centralia IL at 1:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 3:05 pm from SLO, 3 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.