Cessna 150J accident near Napa, California, July 26, 2006
On July 26, 2006 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N60816, was substantially damaged in an accident near Napa, California (Napa County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. The fuel starvation was the result of the pilot's inadequate preflight preparation (failure to refuel the airplane before taking off) and his inadequate in-flight decision (to make right turns while holding) that directly led to an unporting of the right fuel tank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2006 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Napa, California · Napa County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N60816 · no longer on the register · serial 15070596
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane lost engine power and nosed over during a forced landing. The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the airplane and checked the fuel quantity in each wing tank using a fuel measuring stick. He reported that there was no fuel in the left fuel tank, and 5.5 gallons of usable fuel in the right fuel tank. The pilot stated that he had more than enough fuel for the expected 19-minute flight. He performed an engine run-up and executed a normal takeoff. After clearing the mountains west of the departure airport, he radioed the air traffic control tower at the destination airport and requested a special visual flight rules (SVFR) clearance for runway 18. The controller told the pilot to remain outside the class delta airspace and to expect a 10-minute delay for landing. The pilot remained outside the airspace by maneuvering in right circles over a landmark. The pilot said that at this point, the fuel in the right tank lost contact with the fuel pickup port and the engine lost power. The pilot could not make it to the airport from his location and chose to land in a field approximately 5 miles north of the airport. The pilot successfully landed in the field; however, when the nose wheel touched down it dug into the soil and the airplane nosed over. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane on scene and reported that he found no fuel in the left fuel tank and no more than 6 gallons of fuel in the right fuel tank.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 283 hours in all; 272 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,397 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KVCB Vacaville CA at 3:30 pm
- Destination: KAPC Napa CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; a few clouds at 500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from APC, 4 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.
Other NTSB records under N60816 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.