Cessna 150H accident near Sinton, Texas, December 27, 1999
On December 27, 1999 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N7290S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sinton, Texas (San Patricio County 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
The pilot's failure to refuel the airplane, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain 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
- December 27, 1999 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sinton, Texas · San Patricio County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N7290S · no longer on the register · serial 15067990
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the pre-flight inspection, the pilot visually noted each wing fuel tank was 1/2 full and the fuel quantity gauges indicated 3/4 full. The pilot flew to an airport 27 nautical miles away, and performed one touch-and-go landing. During the return flight, the pilot observed that the right fuel tank quantity gauge indicated 1/4 full and the left fuel tank quantity gauge indicated 3/4 full. Upon arrival, the pilot performed a touch-and-go landing on runway 32, and during the takeoff, climbing through 300 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing, and attempted a 180 degree turn toward the airport. Subsequently, the airplane touched down, went over a gravel road and stopped in a ditch, 750 feet short of the approach end of runway 14. The operator drained the remaining fuel out of both fuel tank sump drains, for a total of 1 3/4 gallons of fuel. The unusable fuel quantity of this make and model airplane is 3.5 gallons.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 141 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 14 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,202 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 27, 1999; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sky Park Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: T69 at 10:10 pm
- Destination: T69
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 4,323 ft by 55 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from CRP, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.