Cessna 150D accident near Waynesville, Ohio, April 26, 2000
On April 26, 2000, a Cessna 150D, registered N4182U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waynesville, Ohio (Red Stewart Airfield). 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 pilot's inadequate preflight, and the water that remained in the fuel system after the preflight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 2000
- Place
- Waynesville, Ohio · Red Stewart Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150D · all 150Ds on the register
- Registration
- N4182U · no longer on the register · serial 15060182
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the pilot's preflight, he found water in the right fuel tank and sump, which he drained until they were completely free of the water. He then started up the airplane, went through all the ground checks, and flew the airplane about 39 statute miles without any problems. He landed the airplane, and shut down the engine for approximately 20 minutes. He then restarted the engine, taxied the airplane to the runway, and made a full-throttle, soft-field takeoff. During the takeoff run, the engine sounded like it was making full power, but the airplane appeared to take longer than normal to build up airspeed. Once airborne, about 75 to 100 feet, the engine sputtered, then quit. Approaching an open field, the airplane's landing gear hit an electrical power line. The airplane stalled, then dropped from a height of about 25 feet. The nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane flipped over. During a post-accident inspection, about 4 ounces of liquid were found in the carburetor bowl, all of which, was water. The pilot stated that he had previously had problems with water in the fuel system.
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: 275 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 182 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,101 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1999; 16 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: 40I
- Destination: I67 Harrison OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 2,442 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.