Cessna 150M accident near College Place, Washington, September 21, 1995
On September 21, 1995 at about 3:40 am local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N714NW, was destroyed in an accident near College Place, Washington. 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
the pilot-in-command's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations which led to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 1995 · about 3:40 am local time
- Place
- College Place, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N714NW · no longer on the register · serial 15079313
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Both the pilot and the pilot-rated passenger reported that they had planned a flight from Walla Walla to Kelso and return. At Kelso, the airplane was fueled with 16.8 gallons. The pilot and passenger thought that only 10 gallons were used. During the return flight, the engine lost power after 2 hours 45 minutes. The pilot-rated passenger made the forced landing. Night conditions prevailed. During descent, the airplane collided with a powerline and trees. The right wing fuel tank was ruptured and no fuel was present. The left wing contained approximately 1-1/4 gallons of fuel. Computations of fuel flow based on the first leg of the flight were applied to the return leg, and the computed fuel consumed would have been about the amount required to sustain engine power for the duration of the flight.
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: 80 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,049 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1995; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mountain States Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: KLS Kelso WA
- Destination: ALW Walla Walla WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 16,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 am from ALW, 4 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.