Cessna 150M accident near Murrietta, California, August 22, 2001
On August 22, 2001 at about 7:05 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N63405, was substantially damaged in an accident near Murrietta, California (French Valley airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the muffler assembly causing a fuel line to overheat, resulting in vapor lock, and a subsequent engine failure followed by an emergency landing in rough terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2001 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Murrietta, California · French Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N63405 · registry record · serial 77289
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the operator who inspected the airplane and interviewed the instructor, the airplane was topped off with 13.4 gallons of aviation gasoline and placed in the maintenance shop just prior to the flight. The airplane received new tires and was released from the shop. No other maintenance was performed. The airplane departed at 1200 with full fuel tanks, which was 22.5 gallons of useable fuel. The instructor had stated that shortly after takeoff, about 1,000 feet, there was a "popping" sound from the engine followed by a loss of engine power. He repositioned the mixture and throttle controls, but with no effect. He stated that he pitched the airplane to attain best glide speed and initiated a forced landing procedure. The airplane landed in rough terrain and was nosed over. The entire back portion of the muffler was open. There was evidence of sooting and discoloration of the firewall directly behind the left muffler. The fuel input line leading from the gascolator to the carburetor was positioned between the aft end of the left muffler and the firewall. It was approximately 3 inches away from the open end of the muffler and was heated substantially when the back end of the muffler blew off. The heat most likely caused the fuel in the line to vaporize, resulting in vapor lock. The lack of altitude and time did not allow the engine to re-fire after the fuel in the line cooled off.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,400 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 380 in the last 90 days; 130 in the last 30 days; 4,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 12, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 22 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 22 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,450 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 20, 2001; 4 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: F70 Murrietta CA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: AVX Catalina CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from RIV, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N63405 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.