Cessna 150 accident near Mentone, Texas, June 2, 1998
On June 2, 1998 at about 5:50 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N6486T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mentone, Texas. It was an instructional 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
a partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 1998 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Mentone, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N6486T · no longer on the register · serial 150-17886
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that the itinerary for his solo cross-country flight included stops at Mentone and Wink, and a return flight to Pecos. While in cruise flight, the engine began to run rough and the engine RPM dropped to somewhere around 1,200 to 1,500 RPM. After completing his emergency procedures, the pilot elected to execute a precautionary landing on the service road to an operating oil pump. During the precautionary landing on the narrow domed road, with the flaps fully extended, the pilot lost control of the airplane. The pilot added that the right main landing gear tire dug into the sand. The right main landing gear collapsed rearward after striking a large rock. Subsequently, the right wing impacted the ground. The reason for the reported rough running engine was not determined.
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: 107 hours in all; 107 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,238 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 18, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PEQ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 109°F (43°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.