Cessna 152 accident near California, Missouri, July 18, 1990
On July 18, 1990 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6095M, was destroyed in an accident near California, Missouri. 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
FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO THE STUDENT PILOTS LACK OF FUEL USE AWARENESS AND INADEQUATE TRAINING REGARDING CROSS COUNTRY FUEL CONSUMPTION PLANNING AND AWARENESS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1990 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- California, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6095M · no longer on the register · serial 15284620
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
UPON ENCOUNTERING ADVERSE WEATHER DURING A SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THE STUDENT PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LAND AT HER PLANNED DESTINATION. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME SHE LANDED AT AN AIRPORT. DURING HER RETURN FLIGHT TO THE HOME AIRPORT SHE ENCOUNTERED ADVERSE WEATHER. DURING HER SECOND DIVERSIONARY ACTION HER AIRPLANE'S ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE TOTAL FLYING TIME ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DAYS ACTIVITY WAS 3.0 HOURS. THE HOURLY RANGE FOR HER AIRPLANE, BASED ON THE PILOTS OPERATING HANDBOOK, IS APPROXIMATELY 4.2 HOURS. THE AIRPLANE IS PART OF A MANUFACTURER'S SERVICE LETTER WHICH EMPHASIZES THE NEED TO LEAN THE FUEL MIXTURE WHILE IN FLIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD NOT LEANED THE MIXTURE PROPERLY AND WAS NOT TRAINED TO DO SO. THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING ON A DOWNWARD SLOPING, TIERED PASTURE DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE.
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: 25 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 11 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,697 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 9, 1990; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: A1Z Brumley MO
- Destination: 3SZ St. Charles MO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from JEF, 20 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.
Other NTSB records under N6095M 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.