Cessna 150J accident near Lodi, California, March 3, 2021
On March 3, 2021 at about 8:20 pm local time, a 1969 Cessna 150J, registered N60290, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Lodi, California. It was an instructional 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
A total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to a fatigue crack in the No. 3 cylinder connecting rod shaft resulting from either preignition or detonation, which resulted in a forced landing and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2021 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lodi, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J, built 1969 · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N60290 · registry record · serial 15070201
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot receiving instruction and flight instructor had planned a local instructional flight on the day of the accident. Shortly into the flight after they reached their cruise flight altitude, they experienced a total loss of engine power. The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing in a field. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the connecting rod shaft for the No. 3 cylinder had fractured due to fatigue cracking. The buildup of combustion deposits suggested the event was caused by either preignition or detonation or both, which would have been the result of the use of a lower grade fuel or operating the engine at high power settings with an excessively lean mixture. Although a trace amount of automotive fuel was detected in the fuel line to the carburetor, fuel records indicate that the pilot had been using 100LL consistently. The operating fuel used by the previous owner is unknown; however, the previous owner implied that he used 100LL during conversations with the current owner. The pilot’s leaning practices showed that he regularly leaned the mixture to reach best rpm and enrichened three turns.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 182 hours in all; 59 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 108 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 23, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,014 hours in all; 123 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 911 as pilot in command; 587 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 15, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,036.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 21, 2021; 54.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1O3 Lodi CA at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KSCK, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSCK 031955Z 31006KT 10SM CLR 17/02 A2976 RMK AO2 SLP078 T01670017
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on September 15, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report 22-018 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversations | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Aircraft Examination Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Powerplant Examination Report | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Aircraft Logbooks | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.