Cessna 150G accident near Pahrump, Nevada, May 18, 2007
On May 18, 2007 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 150G, registered N3121J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pahrump, Nevada (Valley View Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel contamination followed by the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadequate preflight and an inadequate 100-hour maintenance inspection by other maintenance personnel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2007 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pahrump, Nevada · Valley View Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3121J · registry record · serial 15065821
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported the airplane departed on runway 18, and approximately 50 feet above the ground, the engine began to sputter. It started to turn left, back towards the airfield, and descend in a left wing low, nose-low attitude to ground impact. The airplane's empennage failed in a scorpion like manner and it came to rest inverted. The most recent 100-hour/annual inspection was performed on April 23, 2007, with a tachometer time of 2,393 hours. The airplane had been flown approximately 7 hours during the last 13 months. No preimpact mechanical engine or airframe anomalies, which might have affected the airplane’s performance, were identified. A decal near the left fuel tank filler port indicated the use of auto-gas was approved, but no associated FAA Major Repair and Alteration form 337 was found in the aircraft paperwork. The right fuel tank was breached and did not contain fuel. The left fuel tank contained yellow colored fuel. The firewall mounted fuel strainer screen was discolored, and the reservoir contained brownish-yellow fuel, which was contaminated with dirt and tested positive for water. The carburetor inlet screen was partially obstructed with dirt, rust, and sand.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,400 hours in all
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,393 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NV00 Pahrump NV at 3:15 pm
- Destination: NV00
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,520 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from DRA, 22 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.