Cessna 150 accident near Shelby, North Carolina, June 22, 2020
On June 22, 2020 at about 4:40 pm local time, a 1971 Cessna 150, registered N1718Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Shelby, North Carolina (Shelby-Cleveland County Rgnl 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
The pilot's inadequate preflight and inflight fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 2020 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Shelby, North Carolina · Shelby-Cleveland County Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 L, built 1971 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N1718Q · registry record · serial 15073018
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he completed a preflight inspection of the airplane he had recently purchased and departed with full fuel tanks. During the flight, while receiving flight following services from air traffic control, he was requested to adjust his heading and was eventually routed back on course. When the airplane was about 3 miles from the destination airport, the engine "sputter[ed]." The pilot verified that the fuel shutoff was on, primed the engine, and pumped the throttle with little improvement from the engine. He noted that when the airplane was pitched down, the engine would "sputter," and when it was pitched up, the engine would run. He checked the fuel quantity, and the left fuel gauge indicated 1/8 usable fuel and the right tank indicated "almost" 1/4 usable fuel. The pilot decided the airplane would not be able to make the airport and located a field to perform a forced landing. During the accident sequence, the airplane experienced a hard landing and the engine mount and left wing were substantially damaged. After the airplane was recovered, the pilot drained the unbreached fuel tanks and 3 gallons were removed from the airplane. According to the airplane Pilot Operating Handbook, the airplane held 26 total gallons of fuel, of which 22.5 gallons were useable. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation prior to the accident, however, the right fuel gauge was slightly incorrect.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not serviced/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Knowledge › Knowledge of equipment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 272 hours in all; 11 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 120 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 24, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,261 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 SERIES (piston); 3,890 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PGV Greenville NC at 2:00 pm
- Destination: EHO Shelby NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from EHO, 4 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA20CA226.