Cessna 150L accident near Hilo, Hawaii, September 12, 1997
On September 12, 1997 at about 2:20 am local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N18503, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hilo, Hawaii (Hilo airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to verify the quantity of fuel before departure, and to monitor fuel consumption during the flight, which led to fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. Tall grass in the emergency landing was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 1997 · about 2:20 am local time
- Place
- Hilo, Hawaii · Hilo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N18503 · registry record · serial 15073896
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft lost power while on approach approximately 9 miles south of the airport. Subsequently, it nosed over during a landing in tall grass. The hobbs meter showed the duration of flight to be a total of 3.1 hours. The aircraft held 26 total gallons of fuel, with 22.5 usable. The second pilot reported to the mechanic/owner that they 'were flying at about 110 MPH, they were not at altitude, and they did little leaning.' According to the Cessna Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) for the 150L, the aircraft will burn approximately 7 gallons per hour at 2,500 feet msl with full power and using 92 percent horsepower. The POH specifies the total range to be 3.2 hours for those specific conditions. No fuel was found remaining in or around the aircraft after the accident, and the surrounding vegetation did not show signs of fuel spillage. Neither pilot reported how fuel quantity was verified or how much fuel they had on board before departure. The engine was examined by a licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic, who found no discrepancies.
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, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 731 hours in all; 1 in the last 90 days; 631 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 710 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 3, 1997; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HNL Honolulu HI at 11:45 pm
- Destination: ITO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX97LA322.