Cessna 150M accident near Lexington, Kentucky, July 28, 2009
On July 28, 2009 at about 9:02 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N6433K, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Lexington, Kentucky (Blue Grass Airport). It was a personal 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
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel manangement.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2009 · about 9:02 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Kentucky · Blue Grass Airport · 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
- N6433K · no longer on the register · serial 15077702
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on the outbound leg of a cross country flight with the fuel tanks filled to "1/8-inch below the solid ring of the [fuel filler] neck." He departed on the return leg of the flight without refueling the airplane, and about 6 miles prior to reaching the final destination, the engine lost power. The pilot adjusted the engine controls, which restored engine power briefly, but it again lost power, and he subsequently performed a forced landing. The airplane touched down, struck a fence, and was substantially damaged. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that there was no odor of fuel, no evidence of fuel spillage, and that the airplane contained less than 8 quarts of fuel at the scene. When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot stated "even though indications were that there was sufficient fuel for the return flight, getting fuel at [the departure airport] as a precaution would have prevented the accident."
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (descent) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 302 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 218 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 9, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,430 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Lexington Flying Club INC
The flight
- Departed from: OWB Owensboro KS at 6:45 pm
- Destination: LEX Lexington KY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from LEX, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.