Cessna 150F accident near Baytown, Texas, March 22, 1992
On March 22, 1992 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N35RJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Baytown, Texas (Rwj Arpk 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 IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT DURING THE APPROACH IN CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS AND HIS IMPROPER FLARE DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 1992 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Baytown, Texas · Rwj Arpk · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N35RJ · registry record · serial 15062932
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN 'SPUTTERING' WHILE HE WAS ON FINAL APPROACH AND THEN QUIT ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER. REALIZING THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THE ROAD THAT HE HAD CHOSEN FOR THE FORCED LANDING, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN HARD IN A THREE POINT ATTITUDE, BOUNCED ONCE, AND THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS INDICATED THAT THE THREAT OF SERIOUS CARBURETOR ICING WAS PRESENT FOR THE TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED AT THE TIME.
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: 57 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 26 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,926 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 1991; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bay Area Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 5,100 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:58 pm from EFD, 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.