Cessna 150 accident near Temple Bar, Arizona, October 13, 1997
On October 13, 1997 at about 3:55 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N71VL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Temple Bar, Arizona. 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 pilot's improper planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power. A factor relating to the accident was: the terrain condition (ditch) in the emergency landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 1997 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Temple Bar, Arizona · 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
- N71VL · no longer on the register · serial 15072266
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed for a flight after adding approximately 8 gallons of automotive fuel to the aircraft. He said he performed a 'stick test,' and each tank showed approximately 10 gallons of fuel. The pilot stated that while maneuvering, approximately 800 feet above the terrain, the engine suddenly quit, when he banked into a left turn. He said the engine sputtered during the descent, but power was not restored. Also, he told investigator's that the engine acted like it was out of fuel. During a postaccident investigation, only 3 gallons of fuel was found in the fuel system. Additionally, the mixture control was found to have been pulled out about 1 inch from the panel, and the spark plugs were found to have burned very lean. The Cessna Owner's Manual stated there was 1.75 gallons of unusable fuel in each standard tank.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command; 450 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,420 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 12, 1997; 250 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,936 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGU St George UT at 6:55 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from SGU, 32 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.