Cessna 150 accident near El Dorado, Kansas, February 4, 2018
On February 4, 2018, a 1969 Cessna 150, registered N61024, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near El Dorado, Kansas. 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 fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent off-airport landing and nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 4, 2018
- Place
- El Dorado, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 J, built 1969 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N61024 · no longer on the register · serial 15070742
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, en route, he noticed a drop in the engine's rpm. He noted that the fuel shutoff valve was open, and the gas gauges showed half full in the right tank and quarter full in the left tank. He added that the carburetor heat was off, the mixture was full rich, and then the engine quit running. During the third attempt to restart the engine, it briefly started and then quit again. Subsequently, during an off-airport landing in a field, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He added that he had filled the gas "to the top" (22.5 gallons) before departure and had flown for 3.7 hours. The 1969 Cessna 150 owner's manual states that the airplane's maximum range was 4.1 hours with no reserve at 75% power at 7,000 ft. The pilot further reported in a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge that he did not consult the emergency checklist because it was placed in the glovebox. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors drained the fuel tanks about 5 days after the accident and reported that there was no evidence of fuel leakage around the fuel caps or on the ground. They drained about 8 to 12 ounces from the left wing tank and about 3/4 of a gallon from the right wing tank. The FAA inspectors added that the engine showed proper continuity, and the magnetos were operational. The engine was not run due to a fractured intake manifold just above the carburetor base flange. The fracture damage to the intake manifold was consistent with impact damage.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 95 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 33 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 10, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,311 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LWC Lawrence KS
- Destination: 71K Wichita KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from KAAO, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on April 19, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record - Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation - Pilot Email | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Scene/report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Performance - Specifications | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.