Cessna 150A accident near Gulf Of Mexico, February 22, 1998
On February 22, 1998 at about 7:24 pm local time, a Cessna 150A, registered N757NK, was destroyed in an accident near Gulf Of Mexico. It was flown 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
a loss of engine power due to undermined reason resulting in a forced landing, and an in- flight collision with water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 1998 · about 7:24 pm local time
- Place
- Gulf Of Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150A · all 150As on the register
- Registration
- N757NK · no longer on the register · serial 79871
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said, ' he thought that fuel would not be a problem due to the airplane having extended range fuel tanks which held 40 total gallons and burned 6 gallons per hour...I did a normal preflight inspection including, draining fuel sumps and visually checking the fuel....' He also stated, ' I flew one hour in level flight, after finding fish, I started a left turn in which I remained in for about two and a half hours waiting for my boat to arrive, when I began to experience a power loss so I began checking switches, magnetos and the fuel selector, and I began to rock the wings.' The pilot further stated, 'I should have had two and a half to three hours of fuel remaining, and had been advised by the mechanic/instructor not to always trust the fuel gages as they are not very dependable.' He said he ran the airplane at 2,000 rpm's to try to extend the fuel burn while he was circling a fishing boat 35 miles offshore at 4,000 feet trying to spot fish, the engine stopped, and he started to descend. As he was passing through 2,500 feet the engine started, and he elected to return to land. He was about 15 miles from Key West when again the engine failed. He made a forced landing next to a lobster boat in the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot stated, 'the aircraft was full of fuel at the time of takeoff....' According to the aircraft's manual the aircraft holds 35 gallons and burns 6 gallons an hour which would have given him approximately 5 hours and 45 of fuel on board. The airplane was not recovered from the water, and no determination could be made on the reason for the loss of engine power.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 7,850 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 7,850 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,557 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 25, 1997; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EYW Key West FL at 3:35 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from EYW, 15 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.