Cessna 150F accident near Grain Valley, Missouri, April 5, 2007
On April 5, 2007 at about 5:10 pm local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N7893F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grain Valley, Missouri. 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 pilot's failure to assure an adequate fuel supply which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Factors associated with the accident were the street sign which was contacted, the pilot's inability to maintain directional control of the airplane and the ditch which was contacted.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 2007 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Grain Valley, Missouri
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7893F · registry record · serial 150-63993
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane nosed over in a ditch during an off-airport forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that he topped off the airplane with fuel on the day prior to the accident after which he made a 30-minute flight. He stated that on the day of the accident he checked the fuel by looking in the fuel tanks and by measuring the fuel quantity. The pilot indicated he had approximately 20 gallons of fuel prior to the accident flight, which was 1 hour in duration. The pilot reported that he was in the landing pattern and had just turned base to final when the engine lost power. The pilot reported that he tried to restart the engine to no avail and that he was not able to glide to the runway so he elected to land on a nearby road. During the landing roll the right wing tip collided with a road sign and the airplane then veered into a ditch and nosed over. The fuel capacity for the airplane is a total of 26 gallons of which approximately 3 ½ gallons are unusable. Personnel who recovered the wreckage stated there was no evidence of fuel leakage from the airplane when it was inverted on the ground. Fuel was noted to be leaking from the doorpost area when the airplane was being moved upright. Inspection of the airplane revealed that a headliner support tube had been rubbing on the right tank fuel line located in the top of the cockpit area. There was a hole visible in the fuel line. This area of the cockpit roof had also sustained crush damage as a result of the airplane flipping inverted. There were no visible signs that fuel had been leaking from the hole, prior to the accident, nor did the pilot report having noticed an odor of fuel in the cockpit. The airplane was turned upright and the master switch was turned on. It was noted the right fuel quantity indicator showed that the tank was empty and the left quantity indicator showed the left tank contained one-quarter tank of fuel. A total of 2 ½ gallons of fuel were drained from the airplane following the accident. The fuel quantity indicators were checked again and both indicated empty. Five gallons of fuel were then added to each fuel tank after which time the fuel quantity indicators both indicated one-quarter tank. The hole in the fuel line was patched and the engine was started and ran without interruption. It was noted that non-vented fuel caps were installed on the airplane. Vented fuel caps were required to be installed per FAA Airworthiness Directive 79-10-14 R1, Amendment 39-5901.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command; 20 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3GV Grain Valley MO
- Destination: 3GV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.44 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from LXT
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.
Other NTSB records under N7893F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.