Cessna 150G accident near St. Augustine, Florida, February 1, 2010
On February 1, 2010 at about 6:31 pm local time, a Cessna 150G, registered N3995J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near St. Augustine, Florida (St. Augustine airport). 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
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion caused by the failure of the right wing fuel tank sending unit gasket, which resulted in a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 2010 · about 6:31 pm local time
- Place
- St. Augustine, Florida · St. Augustine · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3995J · registry record · serial 15065295
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot refueled the airplane and departed. While cruising at altitudes varying between 6,500 feet and 2,500 feet above ground level, he noticed that the right fuel gauge was fluctuating around the empty indication and the left fuel gauge was giving intermittent indications. The pilot elected to land at an airport that was en route to his destination. As the airplane approached the airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot made a forced landing to a highway about 600 yards short of the airport and, after maneuvering to avoid traffic, the airplane struck road signs and came to rest in a ditch. The pilot stated that he always based fuel consumption on time, altitude and temperature, and monitored it with a stopwatch. Subsequent fuel consumption calculations indicated that at the rpm setting provided by the pilot, the airplane should have had well in excess of 30 minutes of fuel onboard when the engine ceased operating, about 2.5 hours after takeoff. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed fuel stains under the right under-wing area, flap, and fuselage. The stained was a result of fuel leakage due to a failure of the right wing fuel tank sending unit gasket.
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 related during enroute defining event
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (descent)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Damaged/degraded
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,289 hours in all; 2,700 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 4,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 14, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,442 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 23, 2009; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,760 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor 0-200 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GGE Georgetown SC at 4:15 pm
- Destination: SGJ St. Augustine FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 6:58 pm from SGJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.