Cessna 150 accident near Fallon, Nevada, October 8, 2019
On October 8, 2019 at about 2:30 am local time, a 1968 Cessna 150, registered N50618, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Fallon, Nevada (Fallon Muni airport). 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 preflight fuel planning and quantity inspection, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a total loss of engine power, a forced landing on unsuitable terrain, and a subsequent nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 2019 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Fallon, Nevada · Fallon Muni · 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 1968 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N50618 · registry record · serial 15069437
- 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, during the preflight inspection, the fuel gauges indicated that each tank was half full. The pilot did not visually inspect the fuel tanks to verify the fuel gauges' indicated reading. After a 40-minute local flight, the engine lost power as the pilot was turning the airplane onto the base leg of the airport traffic pattern. The pilot recalled that the fuel gauge indicated that 1/4 tank of fuel remained. He made a forced landing in a flat attitude in a desert. The nose landing gear dug into the soft, dry surface, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He added that the accident could have been prevented if he had visually inspected the fuel tanks using a fuel stick to assess the fuel quantity.
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 approach
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 670 hours in all; 630 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 8, 2008
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,189 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 19, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 5,189 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLX Fallon NV at 1:30 am
- Destination: FLX Fallon NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 5,705 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from KQAV, 5 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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 10, 2020. 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 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N50618 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.