Cessna 150-G accident near Livingston, Texas, April 28, 2004
On April 28, 2004 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150-G, registered N493RA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Livingston, Texas (Livingston Municipal 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
A loss of engine power due to the blockage of the fuel system vents, resulting in fuel starvation. 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 28, 2004 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Livingston, Texas · Livingston Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150-G · all 150-Gs on the register
- Registration
- N493RA · no longer on the register · serial 15066987
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The single-engine airplane experienced a loss of engine power, and the pilot executed a forced landing to a grassy field. According to the 175-hour private pilot, after takeoff he climbed to approximately 1,000 feet agl and flew in the local area for about 50 minutes. After making several circles around the airport, the engine started to run "rough." The pilot applied carburetor heat and maneuvered the airplane to set up for a forced landing into a field. He reported that the engine "appeared" to be starved from gas, and as he cycled the throttle, the engine would "restart." After several attempts to maintain engine RPM, the engine "quit." Subsequently, the pilot landed the airplane in a grassy field located across from the airport. During the roll-out, the front tire struck a small ditch, nosed-over, and came to rest inverted. An examination of both wing fuel caps revealed that their respective vents were "painted over," and when low pressure air was introduced to the left wing fuel vent, the vent appeared to be blocked. Higher pressure air was applied to the vent, and a "pop" was heard, as if the vent had "cleared" debris when the air was applied. According to entries in the airplane's maintenance logbooks, the last annual inspection was completed on March 15, 2003. Additional entries showed that the airplane had flown a total of approximately 1.4 hours (including the 50 minutes of the accident flight) since the annual inspection.
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: 175 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 160 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 4, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,406 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 25, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 1,005 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 00R Livingston TX at 10:05 pm
- Destination: 00R Livingston TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from CXO, 28 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.
Other NTSB records under N493RA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.