Cessna 150M accident near Bunnell, Florida, October 18, 1999
On October 18, 1999 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N3240V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bunnell, Florida. 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
The erosion and separation of the aft end plate P/N 0450338-18 of the right muffler resulting in exhaust gas contact to electrical wires in the engine compartment. Also, unsuitable terrain encountered by the pilot during the forced landing. A finding in the investigation was the inadequate record keeping by the individual who performed the last annual inspection for his failure to timely record in the aircraft maintenance records accomplishment of the inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 1999 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bunnell, Florida · 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
- N3240V · registry record · serial 15076436
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, the engine began to run rough. The pilot initiated a 180-degree turn to return then 1-2 minutes later, thick white smoke was 'pouring' from under the left side of the instrument panel in the area of the magneto switch. All electrical equipment was turned off including the magneto switch. The airplane nosed up briefly after touchdown in a field during the forced landing. Heat damage to electrical wires in the engine compartment was noted. The aft end plate P/N 0450338-18 of the right muffler was not in place and was not located; only a peripheral flange remained. Examination of the right muffler P/N 0450400-26 revealed perforation of the tube and thinning of the material near the fracture surface of the end plate. There was no record indicating that the right muffler had been replaced or repaired since the airplane was manufactured. Four days after the accident, the FAA found a mechanic making an entry in the maintenance records indicating completion of an annual inspection that he performed approximately 8 months earlier. The mechanic reported using 14 CFR Part 43, Appendix D and his own checklist as a reference. The airplane had accumulated approximately 37 hours since the last annual inspection, and 3,781.4 hours since manufacture, at the time of the accident. Cessna recommends inspection of the exhaust system every 50 and 100 hours, and also a submerged pressure test of the muffler when fumes are detected in the cabin or for a thorough inspection.
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: 368 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 215 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,781 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1999; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORL Orlando FL at 1:00 pm
- Destination: SGJ St. Augustine FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from DAB, 21 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.