Cessna 150J accident near Morgan Hill, California, August 1, 2000
On August 1, 2000 at about 7:53 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N60764, was substantially damaged in an accident near Morgan Hill, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and failure to verify the fuel supply onboard the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 2000 · about 7:53 pm local time
- Place
- Morgan Hill, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N60764 · no longer on the register · serial 15070559
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Near the end of a cross-country flight, the student pilot performed an off-airport emergency landing 3 miles from his intended destination following loss of engine power. During the landing, the airplane collided with ground obstructions. The pilot later acknowledged that he exhausted the aircraft's fuel supply. He said that a fueler was supposed to have filled the aircraft to capacity prior to his departure but did not. During his preflight inspection of the aircraft the pilot did not remove the fuel caps and visually check that the tanks were full.
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: 30 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAT Fresno CA
- Destination: Q99 San Martin CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 181°F (83°C), dew point 145°F (63°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from SJC, 24 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.