Cessna 150 accident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 2, 1997
On April 2, 1997 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N3616J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 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
the student pilot inadvertently became lost/disoriented during a cross-country flight, and failed to use his radio for assistance, which led to fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 1997 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N3616J · registry record · serial 150-64916
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After reviewing the flight planning, the flight instructor (CFI) approved the student pilot's solo cross-country flight. The student then departed on the cross-country flight for his destination, which was 110 miles away. The student said he found some of his check points, but after the planned elapsed time, he could not find the airport. He continued to search, and did not use his radio for assistance. The student became disoriented, and the airplane was tracked on radar into Class 'B' airspace, until it impacted the ground about 2 miles from an international airport. The student reported he was forced to land 'after running out of fuel' about 85 miles west of his destination. The airplane manual stated there were 3.5 gallons of unusable fuel. About 2.5 gallons of fuel were drained from the airplane.
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: student
- Flight time: 68 hours in all; 59 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 20 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,439 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 10, 1997; 18 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: HZL Hazleton PA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: N97 Clrfld Lawrence PA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from PIT, 2 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.