Cessna 150M accident near Sikeston, Missouri, August 6, 1999
On August 6, 1999 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N3755V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sikeston, Missouri (Sikeston airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 the stuck exhaust valve. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain available for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 1999 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sikeston, Missouri · Sikeston · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N3755V · no longer on the register · serial 15076611
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The CFI reported that the engine was operating normally during run-up and takeoff. He reported that at about 200 feet above ground altitude, the engine started running rough. He applied carburetor heat and nosed the airplane over to maintain airspeed. The airplane continued to descend even though the pilot had applied full power. The CFI decided to land the airplane in a field at the end of the runway. He used full flaps and landed the airplane in the soft field. The airplane nosed over during landing rollout. An inspection of the engine revealed that one of the cylinders had an exhaust valve stuck in the open position. The owner and operator of the airplane reported that during the last 100 hour inspection, the cylinder with the stuck valve had a compression reading of 68 psi, just slightly lower than the other three cylinders.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,650 hours in all; 548 in this make and model; 171 in the last 90 days; 49 in the last 30 days; 2,464 as pilot in command; 1,775 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,266 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 1999; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SIK at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 5,502 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.