Cessna A150K accident near Elgin, Oklahoma, July 30, 1997
On July 30, 1997 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna A150K, registered N8332M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Elgin, Oklahoma. 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
fuel contamination, and the pilot's inadequate preflight of the airplane. Trees in the emergency landing area were considered a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 1997 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Elgin, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A150K · all A150Ks on the register
- Registration
- N8332M · no longer on the register · serial A15000032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he had fueled the airplane from his own 150 gallon tank, which had been idle for approximately 18 months. The pilot reported that he preflighted the airplane in the hangar before takeoff. He stated that the takeoff appeared normal until approximately '75 feet agl when the engine quit.' Also, he reported that he 'attempted to turn left back to a lane beside the runway, but he felt the airplane begin to stall and buffet.' He lowered the nose to gain speed and landed in some tree tops. Postcrash examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that 'the fuel in the airplane's fuel tank was dark and muddy looking.' The pilot reported (to the IIC) that 'he believes that the airplane's fuel was contaminated which caused his power failure.'
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: 1,354 hours in all; 534 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,662 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 1996; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E20 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,400 ft; scat at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from LAW, 22 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.
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.