Cessna 150 accident near Huntington, West Virginia, March 14, 2001
On March 14, 2001 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N6584F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Huntington, West Virginia. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in residual fuel contamination and a subsequent engine failure. Factors included corroded fuel filler necks and rain the previous evening.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 2001 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Huntington, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N6584F · no longer on the register · serial 15063184
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was 4 months overdue for an annual inspection, and the pilot applied for a ferry permit to fly it to an inspection facility. Two days prior to the accident, a local mechanic examined the airplane, and observed a "significant amount of water" in the fuel samples he drained. He also noted that the fuel filler necks were corroded. The mechanic drained all of the water out of the tanks, and then ran the engine for 30 minutes with no abnormalities. The pilot stated that he performed a thorough preflight inspection prior to his departure, and drained water out of the fuel drains "until the fuel was clear." After departure, about 3 to 4 miles from the airport, the engine lost power and the pilot performed a forced landing to a river. The airplane sank in the river, and was not recovered. According to the pilot and the mechanic, it had rained continuously throughout the night prior to the accident flight.
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: 120 hours in all
- Last flight review: October 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,810.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 11, 2000; 81.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HTW Huntington WV at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 12V Milton WV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from HTS, 7 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.