Cessna 150 accident near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, June 15, 1997
On June 15, 1997 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N8080S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Punxsutawney, 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
Pilot in command became disoriented and continued flight until fuel exhaustion. A factor to this accident is the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision by over flying several airports during his disorientation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 1997 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Punxsutawney, 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
- N8080S · no longer on the register · serial 150-61680
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot/owner departed the airport with full fuel tanks. He flew 95 miles and was on his return leg when he became disoriented. He stated that his wet compass and directional gyro were not correct. The pilot ran the engine at red line on the rpm gauge until 10 minutes prior to engine loss of power. Unable to restart the engine, the pilot executed a forced landing to a strip mining access road. Examination of the wreckage revealed only unusable fuel remaining in the fuel tanks. No mechanical anomalies were found with the airframe or engine. The pilot reported that he was airborne for 3 hours and 25 minutes.
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: 122 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 47 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,408 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 17, 1997; 9 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: 3G9 Butler PA at 2:40 pm
- Destination: NONE Port Allegany PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from PIT, 65 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.
Other NTSB records under N8080S 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.