Cessna 150 accident near Delano, California, July 3, 2001
On July 3, 2001, a Cessna 150, registered N6475T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Delano, California. It was a public-use 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
A bent mixture control valve stem shaft in the carburetor which made pilot control of the mixture inoperative resulting in excessive fuel consumption, and subsequent loss of engine power..
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2001
- Place
- Delano, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N6475T · no longer on the register · serial 15017875
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft collided with grapevines and supporting trellises during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. According to the pilot, his passenger fueled the airplane prior to departure. They purposely waited until after they ate lunch and immediately before departure to refuel the airplane in order to obtain the maximum quantity of cool fuel. The passenger had flown about 40 photo missions with the pilot and was aware of the importance of fueling the airplane to maximum capacity. He assured the pilot that the fuel tanks were completely full. The accident occurred 3 hours 34 minutes after departure. The pilot stated that during recovery, 1/2-gallon of fuel was found in the airplane. The pilot also told the Safety Board investigator that he routinely flew the airplane 4 hours to 4 hours 5 minutes and it would require 20- to 20.5-gallons fuel to fill the tanks. The airplane holds 26 gallons fuel, of which 22.5 are usable fuel. The engine was test run and started promptly and ran smoothly. The magneto check and carburetor heat check were normal. The engine did not stop when the mixture control was moved to the idle cutoff position. The inspection revealed that the mixture control arm was loose on its shaft. The carburetor was examined and the mixture control valve stem shaft was found bent and was not inserted into the sleeve in the bowl. According to the representative from the carburetor manufacturer, the carburetor operates in the "full rich" condition at all times when the stem is not inserted in the sleeve and subsequent movement of the mixture control would have no effect. The examination also revealed that the mixture control lever was loose on the shaft and the stop peg traveled beyond the idle cutoff stop pad. The pilot/operator reported that no recent maintenance had been performed on the carburetor.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 7,400 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 6, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,759 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 28, 2000; 223 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DLO Delano CA at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 102°F (39°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from KBFL, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.