Cessna 150H accident near Sunbury, Pennsylvania, October 5, 1996
On October 5, 1996 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N6741S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sunbury, Pennsylvania. 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
failure of the cluster gear attaching bolts (of which one failed from fatigue), resulting in a disconnect of the gear and loss of engine power. An obstruction (rock) in the emergency landing area was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 1996 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sunbury, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N6741S · no longer on the register · serial 150-67541
- 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 the engine lost power while climbing through 2200 msl. He stated that his attempts to restart the engine, using the emergency procedures, were unsuccessful. During a forced landing in a field, the airplane struck a rock and nosed over. The airplane was examined after the accident by an FAA inspector. The examination revealed that the four bolts that held the crankshaft cluster gear to the crankshaft had failed. The accessory gear box cover was removed and the cluster gear rotated freely. Examination of the four bolts revealed that one of the bolts failed due to fatigue in the threaded area. (Due to smearing, failure mode of the the other 3 bolts was not determined). The engine had over 356 hours since overhaul. The pilot stated that he was unsure why the prior owner had the engine overhauled.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,312 hours in all; 48 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,093 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,450 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1996; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEG Selinsgrove PA at 4:50 pm
- Destination: N79 Shamokin PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:47 pm from UNV, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N6741S 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.