Cessna 150 accident near Magnolia, Arkansas, April 14, 2004
On April 14, 2004, a Cessna 150, registered N5628E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Magnolia, Arkansas (Magnolia Municipal 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 improper pre-flight planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. A contributing 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
- April 14, 2004
- Place
- Magnolia, Arkansas · Magnolia Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N5628E · no longer on the register · serial 17138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 288-hour pilot was on a cross country flight and landed at an airport to purchase fuel. Upon landing he noticed "that everything was shut down for the day." The pilot talked with a man in the terminal building, who informed him that he would have to wait about an hour for fuel service and he would have to pay a $30.00 "call-out" fee. He elected to fly to another airport about 20 miles away to purchase fuel. Before departing, the pilot performed a preflight inspection for the airplane, which included a visual inspection of both fuel tanks. He grabbed a broom from the back of a fuel truck and "stuck it in the fuel tank to check the level better." The left tank was just under 1/2-full, and the right tank was about 1/4-full. Approximately 10 miles from the airport the engine stopped producing power and the pilot landed in a field. Examination of the airplane revealed both fuel tanks were intact and empty. There was no evidence of a fuel spill or leak, and no mechanical deficiencies were noted. The pilot reported that he had made fuel stops along his route of flight. Examination of fueling records revealed the pilot had purchased 23.16 gallons at one stop a few days before the accident and 21.4 gallons on the day of the accident. The airplane was equipped with two standard fuel tanks, one in each wing. The total fuel capacity was 26 gallons (13 gallons each tank), and the total usable fuel capacity was 22.5 gallons (11.25 gallons each tank). In addition, the pilot told a law enforcement official at the accident site that he had run out of fuel.
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: 288 hours in all; 88 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 275 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 23, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,886 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 2004; 22.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,225 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELD El Dorado AR
- Destination: AGO Magnolia AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.