Cessna 150H accident near Mariposa, California, May 25, 2001
On May 25, 2001 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N23474, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mariposa, California. 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 pilot's failure to properly refuel the aircraft which resulted in departure with an inadequate quantity of fuel onboard. A factor in the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight preparation and planning, which failed to provide an adequate fuel reserve for the flight intended.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 2001 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Mariposa, California · map
- 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
- N23474 · no longer on the register · serial 15068974
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion after 2.1 hours of flight and 16-miles before reaching the intended destination. The pilot attributed the fuel exhaustion to an interruption that occurred during his (self) fueling of the aircraft, which resulted in the fuel tanks not being totally full on takeoff. As he was filling the left wing fuel tank before takeoff, the pilot was interrupted by another pilot who asked his assistance with operation of the self-fueling equipment. He completed filling the left tank and stopped to assist the other pilot. He returned to his airplane about 10 or 15 minutes later, filled the right-wing tank, and departed. The pilot believed that, during the interruption, a portion of the fuel in the left tank flowed across the aircraft to the right tank and, after he filled the right tank, the left tank was approximately 5 gallons below capacity. He reported making the same trip regularly. Assuming a zero to 5-knot headwind, the trip routinely required 20.3 or 20.4 gallons to complete. The aircraft had been modified to install a larger engine than the original and had a 24-gallon usable fuel capacity. The pilot reported that, on past flights at the same altitude and power setting, the engine consumed 9.17 gallons per hour (2.6 hours endurance).
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,978 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 3,943 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,830 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 26, 2001; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WHP Los Angeles CA at 8:15 pm
- Destination: Q68 Groveland CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KMER, 25 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.