What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airframe failed inflight. High surface winds. Mountainous terrain. Possible lenticualar clouds. Severe turbulence. (.4) the airplane had been both hangared and kept outdoors since the summer of 1995. In may 1997, the Deming city administrator observed the pilot transferring fuel from the sump of a 10,000 gallon fuel storage tank into a fuel truck. The pilot told him that he was bypassing the tank's sump to meet FBO needs (the pilot was also the FBO manager). Approximately one month before the accident, the pilot told an FBO employee that he had drained the airplane's fuel tanks and asked that they be refilled. The employee said he put 14 to 15 gallons of fuel in the airplane (fuel capacity is 26 gallons). On the day of the accident, the pilot found the airplane's battery dead. He hand started the engine and departed for California. The alternator need at least 3 volts current to energize its magnetic field for electrical power gneration. The airplane was last seen flying west at an estimated altitude of 400 to 500 feet AGL. The wreckage was found the next day in soft, sandy soil on level terrain, covered by 2 to 5 feet tall brush. Postcrash examination revealed that the flaps were up, and the gascoloator and fuel tanks contained a fluid other than aviation fuel. (-23) on October 20, 1997, approximately 1220 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N6206K, was destroyed during a forced landing near Deming, new Mexico. The ATP pilot, sole occupant in the airplane was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross country flight which originated from Deming, NM. Approximately 15 minutes before the accident. The on scene investigation revealed evidence of what appeared to be water or other contaminant in the fuel strainer and right wing tank.
As the FAA filed it
AIRFRAME FAILED INFLIGHT. HIGH SURFACE WINDS. MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. POSSIBLE LENTICUALAR CLOUDS. SEVERE TURBULENCE. (.4) THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN BOTH HANGARED AND KEPT OUTDOORS SINCE THE SUMMER OF 1995. IN MAY 1997, THE DEMING CITY ADMINISTRATOR OBSERVED THE PILOT TRANSFERRING FUEL FROM THE SUMP OF A 10,000 GALLON FUEL STORAGE TANK INTO A FUEL TRUCK. THE PILOT TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS BYPASSING THE TANK'S SUMP TO MEET FBO NEEDS (THE PILOT WAS ALSO THE FBO MANAGER). APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT TOLD AN FBO EMPLOYEE THAT HE HAD DRAINED THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS AND ASKED THAT THEY BE REFILLED. THE EMPLOYEE SAID HE PUT 14 TO 15 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE AIRPLANE (FUEL CAPACITY IS 26 GALLONS). ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT FOUND THE AIRPLANE'S BATTERY DEAD. HE HAND STARTED THE ENGINE AND DEPARTED FOR CALIFORNIA. THE ALTERNATOR NEED AT LEAST 3 VOLTS CURRENT TO ENERGIZE ITS MAGNETIC FIELD FOR ELECTRICAL POWER GNERATION. THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST SEEN FLYING WEST AT AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE OF 400 TO 500 FEET AGL. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND THE NEXT DAY IN SOFT, SANDY SOIL ON LEVEL TERRAIN, COVERED BY 2 TO 5 FEET TALL BRUSH. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE FLAPS WERE UP, AND THE GASCOLOATOR AND FUEL TANKS CONTAINED A FLUID OTHER THAN AVIATION FUEL. (-23) ON OCTOBER 20, 1997, APPROXIMATELY 1220 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 150M, N6206K, WAS DESTROYED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR DEMING, NEW MEXICO. THE ATP PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT IN THE AIRPLANE WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINATED FROM DEMING, NM. APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED EVIDENCE OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE WATER OR OTHER CONTAMINANT IN THE FUEL STRAINER AND RIGHT WING TANK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.