Cessna 150 accident near Wichita, Kansas, November 24, 1989
On November 24, 1989 at about 6:30 am local time, a Cessna 150, registered N8912S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wichita, Kansas. 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
FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO POOR PLANNING AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REFUEL THE AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 1989 · about 6:30 am local time
- Place
- Wichita, Kansas
- 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
- N8912S · no longer on the register · serial 15062212
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE MAKING A DARK NIGHT VFR APPROACH TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE PILOT SAID THAT THE ENGINE QUIT. THE ACFT HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH LANDING AND WAS LOCATED ABOUT 3 TO 4 MILES FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA WAS PERFORMED. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL TANKS TO BE EMPTY. NO OTHER MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS DISCOVERED.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 833 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 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: EWK Newton KS at 6:15 am
- Destination: ICT Wichita KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 170° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:50 am from ICT, 3 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.