Cessna 150L accident near Philip, South Dakota, August 9, 1998
On August 9, 1998 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N5413Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Philip, South Dakota. 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 fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection. A factor was the soft field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 1998 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Philip, South Dakota · 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
- N5413Q · no longer on the register · serial 15073313
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he assumed the fuel tanks were topped off prior to takeoff. The lineman who fueled the airplane reported that the fuel tanks were filled three gallons short of their capacity. The pilot reported that he aborted the first takeoff for an inaccurate airspeed indicator. The pilot departed after the mechanical condition was fixed. The pilot reported that during the VFR approach to the destination airport, the engine 'coughed.' The pilot set the mixture to full rich and the throttle to full power, but the engine stopped. The engine restart was unsuccessful. He chose not to land on paved highways due to the automobile traffic, and landed in a freshly plowed field. The airplane nosed over during ground roll. The pilot reported that the flight was approximately 3.3 hours in duration. An examination of the airplane found the fuel tanks to be dry. The Hobbs meter indicated the airplane had operated a total of 3.9 hours during its flight.
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: 136 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 64 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,689 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 1997; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BIL Billings MT at 2:30 pm
- Destination: PHP
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.