Cessna 150 accident near Concordia, Missouri, March 22, 1990
On March 22, 1990 at about 4:00 am local time, a Cessna 150, registered N3650J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Concordia, Missouri. 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
INADEQUATE PRE-FLIGHT PLANNING AND PREPARATION, MISJUDGED FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS AND RE-FUELING NOT PERFORMED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 1990 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Concordia, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N3650J · registry record · serial 15064950
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT SAID THAT WHILE CRUISING, DURING A NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. AN EMERGENCY LDG WAS ATTEMPTED ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHICH RESULTED IN A NOSE OVER. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL TANKS TO BE EMPTY OF USABLE FUEL. THE PLT SAID HE ENCOUNTERED STRONGER THAN ANTICIPATED HEAD WINDS, CONTRIBUTING TO LOWER GROUND SPEEDS.
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: 197 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 167 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (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: JEF Jefferson City MO at 2:00 am
- Destination: K59 Atchinson KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:45 am from MKC, 60 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.