Cessna 150K accident near El Cerrito, California, May 24, 1991
On May 24, 1991 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150K, registered N6003G, was destroyed in an accident near El Cerrito, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND INACCURATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO CHOOSE A PROPER EMERGENCY LANDING SITE AND/OR DEVIATE FROM A STRAIGHT COURSE DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 1991 · about 10:45 pm local time · cases in 1991
- Place
- El Cerrito, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150K · all 150Ks on the register
- Registration
- N6003G · registry record · serial 150 71503
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT CONTACTED APPROACH CONTROL WITH AN EMERGENCY CALL STATING THAT HIS AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE HAD LOST POWER. HE SAID THAT HE THOUGHT A BIRD HAD STRUCK HIS AIRCRAFT. HE GOT THE ENGINE RE-STARTED, BUT IT WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ADEQUATE POWER TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT. THE ENGINE HAD A SECOND LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT ENTERED A POWER OFF FORCED LANDING. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS FLYING ANOTHER AIRPLANE AND OBSERVING THE DISABLED AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT OF THE DISABLED AIRCRAFT FLEW STRAIGHT INTO AN ELECTRICAL POWER TRANSFORMER WITHOUT DEVIATING FROM HIS HEADING. ON SCENE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL TANKS CONTAINED A TOTAL OF ABOUT 7/8 GALLON OF FUEL. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE OR LACK OF INTEGRITY IN THE FUEL SYSTEM.
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: 168 hours in all; 26 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 60 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: The Flying Club, INC
The flight
- Departed from: P06 Bullhead AZ
- Destination: SNA Santa Ana CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N6003G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6003G on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 150 7,992 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-200-A 297 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- John Wayne/Orange County · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,094 in the last ten years
- California 28,279 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N6003G 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX91FA222.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.