Cessna 150 accident near Bishop, California, October 11, 2020
On October 11, 2020 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1968 Cessna 150, registered N22963, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Bishop, California (Bishop airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the pilot’s inadvertent closure of the mixture control which starved the engine of fuel and resulted in a hard landing and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2020 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bishop, California · Bishop · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 H, built 1968 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N22963 · registry record · serial 15068646
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while on final approach he was high, so he reduced power, extended 10o of flaps and entered a slip while he applied carburetor heat. Shortly thereafter the engine lost power. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted an engine restart. The pilot then made a turn to an aera that he thought was suitable for landing. The airplane landed hard and subsequently came to rest inverted, substantially damaging the vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that he mistakenly pulled the mixture control rather than carburetor heat. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel starvation during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Incorrect use/operation
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2020; 1.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 2,200 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBIH Bishop CA at 8:03 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,600 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 pm from KBIH, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR21LA012.