Cessna 150 accident near Muleshoe, Texas, March 10, 1996
On March 10, 1996 at about 1:55 am local time, a Cessna 150, registered N66362, was destroyed in an accident near Muleshoe, Texas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper planning/decision by the student pilot, and his failure to take adequate remedial action after becoming lost and encountering a low fuel situation, which subsequently resulted in fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing at night. Factors relating to the accident were: the student pilot became lost/disoriented, inadequate supervision by the flight instructor (CFI), darkness, and the inability of the student pilot to see the power lines during an emergency landing at night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1996 · about 1:55 am local time
- Place
- Muleshoe, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N66362 · no longer on the register · serial 15075994
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot (an Egyptian national) departed on his initial solo crosscountry flight at 1500. He became lost on the first leg, and after receiving navigation assistance from ATC, made a full stop landing at his planned interim airport about 2 hours and 16 minutes after departure. A ramp attendant said the student seemed 'very nervous.' The ramp attendant asked the student if he wanted to refuel, but the student refused. The student departed the interim airport at 1750. About 50 minutes later, he became lost again. Pilots of other aircraft and ATC attempted to help the student via radio, but where not successful. When asked if his VOR was functioning, the student replied, 'its out of order, [and it] says OFF and I can't get a TO or FROM.' After nightfall, the airplane hit a power line and crashed on the shoulder of a highway about 60 miles north of the intended destination. No fuel spillage was detected at the site, and only about 1 gallon of fuel was found remaining in the fuel tanks. The total flight time without refueling was about 4 hours and 21 minutes; the last 30 minutes was at night. According to performance charts, fuel consumption would have been about 5.6 gallons per hour. Fuel capacity was 26 gallons of which 22.5 gallons were usable. The pilot had a total of 27.6 hrs of day VFR flight time, no night time, and 1.6 hrs of solo time. No preimpact mechanical defect was found. No record was found that the pilot's flight instructor or flight school had contacted FAA authorities to inquire about the overdue aircraft.
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: student
- Flight time: 28 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 19, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HOB Hobbs NM at 11:50 pm
- Destination: Q24 Levelland TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from LBB, 60 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N66362 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.