Cessna 150H accident near Freeport, Pennsylvania, November 18, 1990
On November 18, 1990 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N23330, was substantially damaged in an accident near Freeport, Pennsylvania (Mcville airport). 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 MISCALCULATIONS OF THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON THE AIRPLANE REQUIRED FOR THE FLIGHT. A FACTOR WAS THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 1990 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Freeport, Pennsylvania · Mcville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N23330 · registry record · serial 15068878
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED HE EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS ON FINAL APPROACH. HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY ON SLOPING TERRAIN BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER. THE FAA REPORTED AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL DRAINED OUT OF THE WING TANKS AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE REPORTED POWER LOSS. THE PILOT REPORTED HE DEPARTED WITH THE FUEL TANKS APPROXIMATELY 1/2 FULL. HE MADE TWO TAKEOFFS AND FLEW FOR 1 HOUR AND 20 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ENGINE LOOSING POWER. THE AIRPLANE HAS A TOTAL FUEL CAPACITY OF 26 GALLONS WITH 22.5 GALLONS USABLE AND 3.5 GALLONS UNUSABLE.
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: 128 hours in all; 128 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 128 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DUJ Dubois PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 2,300 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N23330 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC91LA030.