Cessna 150H accident near Dandridge, Tennessee, February 28, 2000
On February 28, 2000 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N6753S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dandridge, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's improper preflight that resulted in his operating an aircraft with contaminated fuel that resulted in a loss of engine power and a forced landing in the trees and damage to the aircraft. Contributing to the accident were the student's continued flight with known engine problems and his not performing a precautionary landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2000 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Dandridge, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N6753S · no longer on the register · serial 15067553
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot said that the airplane's engine had been operating roughly, and had sputtered a few times during the flight, so he decided to land at his private landing strip and have his mechanic work on the engine. As he was maneuvering to land, the student said the engine sputtered again, so he pulled the primer out and pushed it back in and it ran a little, but knew he was not going to make it to the landing strip, so he made a forced landing in the trees. Postcrash examination of the aircraft by FAA inspectors revealed that the fuel in the gascolator was cloudy, orange in color, and contained a small quantity of water. The inspectors also said they found corrosion as well as sediment that appeared to be fuel tank sealant in the gascolator bowl. When they removed the fuselage fuel drain, almost pure water came out of the drain.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,055 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 16, 2000; 1 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: MOR Morristown TN at 11:30 pm
- Destination: GKT Sevierville TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from TYS, 25 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.