Cessna 150L accident near Hope, Maine, September 6, 1996
On September 6, 1996 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N6632G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hope, Maine. 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
inadequate preflight, by not refueling the airplane during an en route stop, which led to fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1996 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hope, Maine
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N6632G · registry record · serial 15072132
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While returning from a round trip, cross-country flight, the engine lost power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine, & performed a forced landing to a grass field. During the landing, the airplane nosed over and was damaged. The HOBBS meter reading indicated the airplane had been operated for 5.4 hrs. The pilot said he departed knowing he was pushing the envelope for fuel, but he figured he had enough to get home, since the left tank fuel quantity was above 1/4 & the right tank fuel quantity showed above zero. The airplane had a supplemental type certificate for use of automotive gasoline. The pilot said he did not refuel the airplane during the trip because his flight instructor told him to use automotive gasoline only. He was told automotive gasoline was unavailable at his points of landing; however, aviation gasoline was available. The pilot was not aware of the compatibility between automotive & aviation gasoline. The airplane was examined by an FAA Inspector; according to his report, fuel was found in a line between the gascolator & carburetor. At least 1 gal of fuel was drained from the right fuel tank & 2 or 3 cups of fuel leaked out of the left fuel tank. An undetermined amount of fuel was observed pulsing out of the fuel vent tube. No preimpact failure of the engine or airframe was reported. The airplane's fuel capacity was 26 gal, of which 3.5 gal were unusable.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 164 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,636 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1996; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ace Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: PWM Portland ME at 10:00 pm
- Destination: BST Belfast ME
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from RKD, 10 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.