Cessna 150H accident near Corona, California, August 9, 2000
On August 9, 2000 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N7011S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Corona, California (Corona Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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's inadequate preflight planning which included improper fuel consumption calculations that led to fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2000 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Corona, California · Corona Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N7011S · no longer on the register · serial 15067711
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane lost engine power on takeoff and made an off airport landing in an open field adjacent to the departure end of the runway. After touchdown the nose landing gear dug into the soft dirt and the airplane became inverted. The purpose of the both flights on the day of the accident was to conduct pattern work. The student pilot had flown the accident airplane earlier in the day and noted a loss of power on the climb out, which he attributed to the wind. The engine came back online and he continued the flight. When he came back to land he noted the same loss of power. He shutdown the engine and took a break before flying again. Prior to the accident flight he conducted a preflight. He visually verified, with the fuel gage and checking the fuel tank, that there was 1/4 tank of fuel. He concluded that there was a sufficient amount of fuel for the duration of his flight. No discrepancies were noted with the first takeoff and landing. On the second takeoff, the engine started to lose power and he made an off airport landing. During the recovery, no fuel was found on-scene. The fuel system was inspected and found to be intact. Approximately 1 gallon of fuel was drained from the aircraft to engine fuel line. An engine run was conducted with no discrepancies noted. The airplane was refueled the day before the accident with 9 gallons of fuel, which brought the total amount of fuel on board to 15 gallons. According to flight logs, the airplane flew for 2.2 hours the day before the accident. The pilot stated that he flew .4 hours prior to the accident flight. According to the airplane manufacturer, the airplane burns 3.0 gallons of fuel an hour at a power setting of 1,800 rpm, and 3.5 gallons of fuel is 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: student
- Flight time: 10 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,491 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2000; 79 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: AJO at 8:30 pm
- Destination: AJO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 199°F (93°C), dew point 142°F (61°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from CNO, 6 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.