Cessna 150M accident near Lake Havasu, Arizona, November 2, 1996
On November 2, 1996 at about 3:00 am local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N2825V, was destroyed in an accident near Lake Havasu, Arizona (Lake Havasu City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
carburetor ice, and failure of the pilot to use carburetor heat, which resulted in loss of engine power. Factors relating to the accident were: carburetor icing conditions, darkness, and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 1996 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Lake Havasu, Arizona · Lake Havasu City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N2825V · no longer on the register · serial 15076292
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft was fully serviced with 22.5 gallons of fuel before flight, and the pilot calculated that slightly less than 17 gallons would be needed. Approaching the destination, the pilot began a power-on, en route, cruise descent at 200 feet per minute. Shortly thereafter, the engine rpm 'dropped slightly for 4-5 seconds,' and then the enigne lost power. The pilot said he was unable to restart the engine, and he prepared for a night forced landing in the desert. Subsequently, the aircraft hit a hillside in a nose high landing attitude, and the nose gear broke off. As the pilot was securing the aircraft, he observed fire in the engine compartment. Subsequently, a postcrash fire consumed the aircraft. During examination of the engine by an FAA airworthiness inspector, no preimpact discrepancy was identified. According to a current weather observation, the sky was clear, the temperature was 67 degrees, and the dew point was 41 degrees. Review of a carburetor icing probability chart showed moderate icing at cruise power and serious icing at glide power.
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 single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,670 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 2,583 as pilot in command; 756 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,667 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 17, 1996; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CMA Camarillo CA at 11:25 pm
- Destination: HII AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 340° at 15 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from KIF, 2 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.
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.