Cessna 150 accident near Oxford, North Carolina, October 3, 2021
On October 3, 2021 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 150, registered N7333A, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Oxford, North Carolina. 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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2021 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oxford, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 M, built 1976 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N7333A · no longer on the register · serial A1500720
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student had just initiated a practice emergency descent when the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The student turned the controls over to her flight instructor, who was unable to restart the engine and made a forced landing to a field. During the landing roll out the nosewheel collapsed and the airplane flipped over, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. Post-accident examination of the engine revealed a clear gel-like substance in the airframe fuel filter bowl, carburetor bowl and carburetor finger screen. Rust-colored corrosion was also observed in the airframe fuel filter bowl and carburetor bowl. No other pre-accident discrepancies were noted with the engine that would have contributed to the loss of engine power.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Fuel contamination during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,440 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 1,335 as pilot in command; 1,070 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 21, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 42 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,565.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 0-200-A (piston); 1,393 hours total
- Operator: Blue Angels Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: RDU Raleigh NC at 4:00 pm
- Destination: HNZ Oxford NC
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from KHNZ
Weather report (METAR): KHNZ 031655Z AUTO 21011G14KT 10SM CLR 25/17 A3006
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.