Cessna 150M accident near Austin, Texas, December 25, 1996
On December 25, 1996 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N66773, was substantially damaged in an accident near Austin, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as result of the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane. Factors were the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing and the pilot's improper preflight inspection of the fuel system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 25, 1996 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Austin, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N66773 · no longer on the register · serial 15076267
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to tower personnel at the airport, the pilot declared an emergency due to a low fuel state. Within minutes the engine was reported to have lost power, and the pilot announced that he was attempting to execute a forced landing in a local high school field approximately 1 mile southeast of the airport. The airplane missed the field, collided with power lines, and subsequently impacted an unoccupied residence in a nose low attitude. The pilot stated that he departed Addison at approximately 1000 hours with the fuel gages reading between 3/4 and full. The pilot added that he navigated to Austin at 4,000 feet MSL, and based on the smoke being emitted from a fire near a lake, he determined that he had a tailwind. A detailed examination of the airplane's fuel system confirmed that no usable fuel was present in either fuel cell. The distance between Addison, Texas, and Austin, Texas, is 166.2 nautical miles.
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: 168 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 104 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,000 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 5, 1996; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ADS Addison TX at 4:00 pm
- Destination: AUS Austin TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from AUS, 1 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.