# Accident 20001126033489A: Cessna 150L, Valley Spring, TX, November 26, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 26, 2000, 19:50 local time - Place: Valley Spring, TX - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.8590° N, 98.8594° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.8590&lon=-98.8594&mi=10 - Aircraft: N18609, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N18609-2003-05-16) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 150L (registry code 2071826, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150l) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental 0-200 series (registry code 17020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150L - Reported engine: CONT O200A - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 138 total, 125 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW01LA028](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA028) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001126033489A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON NOVEMBER 26, 2000, AT 1950 HOURS, CST, A CESSNA 150L AIRPLANE, N18609, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED A TREE DURING A FORCED LANDING. THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM PAULS VALLEY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, PAULS VALLEY, OKLAHOMA, AND WAS DESTINED FOR RUSTY ALLEN AIRPORT, LAGO VISTA,TEXAS. THE PILOT STATES THAT HE COULD NOT FIND THE RUSTY ALLEN AIRPORT AND BEGAN CIRCLING THE AREA. THE ENGINE QUIT AND HE COULD NOT GET IT TO RESTART. HE SAW TAIL LIGHTS FROM AN AUTOMOBILE AND HE ATTEMPTED TO FOLLOW THE LIGHTS WITH HOPES THAT HE COULD LAND ON A ROAD. THEN HE SAW A TREE IN FRONT OF HIM AND DECIDED TO AIM THE A/C BETWEEN THE LARGE "V" SHAPED BRACHED. THE AIRPLANE LODGED IN THE TREE. THERE WAS NO FIRE OR OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE. THIS OFFICE CONSIDERS THIS ACCIDENT CLOSED. (.4)ON NOVEMBER 26, 2000, AT 1950 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 150L AIRPLANE, N18609, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED A TREE DURING A FO RCED LANDING NEAR VALLEY SPRING, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. DARK NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM PAULS VALLEY, OKLAHOMA, APPROXIMATELY 1545, AND WAS DESTINED FOR THE RUSTY ALLAN AIRPORT IN LAGO VISTA, TEXAS. ACCORDING TO A WRITTEN STATEMENT PROVIDED BY THE PILOT, HE DEPARTED LAGO VISTA AND FLEW TO PAULS VALLEY EARLIER IN THE DAY. PRIOR TO DEPARTING PAULS VALLEY FOR THE RETURN TRIP, THE PILOT HAD THE AIRPLANE REFUELED WITH 22 GALLONS OF FUEL. HE THEN DEPARTED PAULS VALLEY AND WAS NAVIGATING VIA VORS TOWARD LAGO VISTA. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER HE PASSED THE LAMPASAS VOR, HE SELECTED A HEADING OF 160 DEGREES TO THE RUSTY ALLAN AIRPORT. HE LATER REALIZED THAT HE HAD MISSED THE AIRPORT AND STARTED MAKING "SEVERAL LARGE LOOPS LOOKING FOR LANDMARKS." THE PILOT THEN REALIZED THAT HE WAS LOST AND ELECTED TO TURN BACK AND FLY TOWARD THE LAMPASAS AIRPORT. DURING THE PILOT'S DIVERSION, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BY PUMPING THE THROTTLE. THE ENGINE GAINED A FEW RPM, BUT DID NOT RESTART. THE PILOT SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A ROAD. DURING THE APPROACH; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE AND CAME TO REST IN A TREE APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRPLANE'S COCKPIT AREA WAS TORN OPEN AND THE FUSELAGE WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED. ACCORDING TO THE AIRCRAFT SALVAGE PERSONNEL, THEY REMOVED 1 GALLON OF FUEL FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AND APPROXIMATELY 1 CUP OF FUEL FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK. ON DECEMBER 14, 2000, THE ENGINE WAS TEST RUN UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN NTSB INVESTIGATOR. ACCORDING TO THE CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE, WHO WAS PRESENT FOR THE TEST RUN, THE ENGINE RAN RICH REGARDLESS OF THE POWER SETTING. THE ENGINE WAS TEST RUN FOR 15 MINUTES AT VARIOUS POWER SETTINGS. ACCORDING TO THOSE PRESENT DURING THE TEST RUN AND ENGINE EXAMINATION, THE CARBURETOR INLET FILTER WAS "90% BLOCKED WITH A PIECE OF BLACK TAPE OR A PIECE OF RUBBER FUEL LINE AND PARTICLES." THE BOTTOM OF THE CARBURETOR BOWL ALSO CONTAINED RED/BROWN DEBRIS. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW01LA028](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA028), Nov 27, 2000: Cessna 150L (N18609), Valley Spring, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion after the pilot became lost during cruise flight. A contributing factor was the dark night condition. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.