Cessna 150 accident near Apple Valley, California, July 12, 1998
On July 12, 1998 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N1706Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Apple Valley, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper installation of unvented fuel caps that resulted in fuel starvation and loss of engine power. A factor was 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
- July 12, 1998 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Apple Valley, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N1706Q · no longer on the register · serial 15073006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was on his last solo cross-country flight before his private pilot check ride. About 48 minutes into the flight, the engine started to run roughly and subsequently lost power. The airplane was 13 miles from an airport, which the pilot tried to reach. He landed short of the runway and collided with an airport security fence. Postaccident examination of the fuel system revealed noncompliance with airworthiness directive 79-10-14R1 and Cessna Service Bulletin SE77-6 requiring the installation of vented fuel caps. The pilot stated that during the preflight check the airplane had been refueled.
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: student
- Flight time: 66 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,652 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 14, 1998; 86 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: EMT El Monte CA at 5:42 pm
- Destination: IFP Bullhead City AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from DAG, 26 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 N1706Q 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.