Cessna 150 accident near Grass Valley, California, August 13, 1984
On August 13, 1984 at about 8:05 am local time, a Cessna 150, registered N4130U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grass Valley, California. It was a personal 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 1984 · about 8:05 am local time
- Place
- Grass Valley, 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
- N4130U · no longer on the register · serial 15060130
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS ON X-COUNTRY FLT. BEFORE LANDING AT LAKEVIEW, OR, THE TACHOMETER FAILED & BEGAN MAKING A NOISE. AT LAKEVIEW, THE PLT DISCONNECTED THE TACHOMETER & HAD 7.5 GALS OF FUEL ADDED TO 1 TANK. HE ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD 15 GALS OF WHICH 3.5 GALS WERE UNUSABLE. ON THE NEXT LEG OF THE FLT, HE ENCOUNTERED AN ESTIMATED 15 KT HEADWIND. ABOUT 8 MILES NORTH OF HIS DESTINATION, THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH & SUBSEQUENTLY LOST POWER. AT THAT TIME, THE RIGHT FUEL GAGE WAS REPORTEDLY INDICATING 1/4 TO 1/2 FULL & THE LEFT FULL GAGE INDICATED EMPTY. DURING A NIGHT FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD, THE RIGHT WING TIP HIT A TREE BESIDE THE ROADWAY, THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE ROAD AND WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. APRX 1 GAL OF FUEL WAS FOUND REMAINING IN THE ACFT.
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
- Flight time: 462 hours in all; 210 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 462 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,213 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 24, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LKV Lakeview OR at 6:00 am
- Destination: Q62 Grass Valley CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 210° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 am from BAB, 20 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.