Piper PA-18-150 accident near Middletown, Ohio, June 24, 1989
On June 24, 1989, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N1961P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Middletown, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL STARVATION FROM IMPROPER MOVEMENT OF THE FUEL SELECTOR BY THE PILOT AND HIS IMPROPER USE OF EMERGENCY PROCEDURES DURING THE ATTEMPTED ENGINE RESTART. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE OF AIRCRAFT AND THE TERRAIN CONDITION (BARLEY CROP).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 1989
- Place
- Middletown, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N1961P · registry record · serial 4190
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT DRG FLT AT 1500 FT, HE REACHED FOR THE ELEVATOR TRIM & INADVERTENTLY ROTATED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO ONE OF THE OFF POSITIONS. THE ENG THEN LOST POWER FROM FUEL STARVATION. THE PLT ESTABLISHED A GLIDE TO A NEARBY FIELD & ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENG. HOWEVER, HE HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING SPEED DRG THE EMERGENCY APCH & ELECTED TO CONCENTRATE ON FLYING THE ACFT. WHEN HE LANDED IN A BARLEY FIELD, THE WHEELS CONTACTED THE CROP & THE ACFT NOSED OVER. THE PLT RPRTD HE HAD A TOTAL OF 3 HRS OF FLT TIME IN THIS MAKE & MODEL OF ACFT.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 113 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 81 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,388 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 18, 1988; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,016 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MWO Middletown OH
- Destination: MWO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N1961P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI89LA120.