# Accident 20250927014389A: Cessna 150F, Lake Havasu Cit, AZ, September 27, 2025 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 27, 2025, 09:10 local time - Place: Lake Havasu Cit, AZ - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.4839° N, 114.3225° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Lake Havasu City, AZ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4839&lon=-114.3225&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8171S, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8171S) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 150F (registry code 2071814, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150f) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental 0-200 series (registry code 17020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150F - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR 0-200 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 2 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student - Pilot flight hours: 362 total, 10 in this make and model, 26 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250927014389A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE FLIGHT WAS A REPOSITION OPERATION TO DELIVER THE AIRCRAFT TO IT'S NEW HOME AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED WAS A CESSNA 150 C MODEL. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS PURCHASED, IN FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS, THE PILOT WAS TOLD THE FUEL GAUGES WERE UNRELIABLE, BECAUSE OF THIS, THE PILOT'S PLAN WAS TO MAKE SURE TO TOP OFF THE FUEL AT FUEL STOPS AND STICK THE TANKS. HE KNEW THE FUEL BURN RATE. THE AIRCRAFT MADE IT TO MARANA REGIONAL AIRPORT (AVQ) IN ARIZONA. FLIGHTPLAN FOR THE NEXT DAY WAS TO FLY TO LAKE HAVASU CITY AIRPORT (HII) IN ARIZONA FOR FUEL AND THEN ON TO BOULDER CITY AIRPORT (BVU), IN NEVADA. PILOT FUELED IN AVQ THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AND TOPPED OFF THE TANKS. PILOT STATED THE FUEL GAUGES WERE OPERATIVE BUT NOT ACCURATE AND DID NOT STICK THE TANKS BECAUSE THEY WERE TOPPED OFF. THE PILOT CHECKED THE WEATHER AND KNEW FROM THE FORECAST THAT THE WEATHER WOULD START TO DETERIORATE. PILOT SAID THAT HE DID NOT MONITOR FUEL GAUGES DURING FLIGHT BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THEM TO BE INACCURATE. PILOT STATED THAT, WITH THE FUEL TANKS TOPPED OFF, AND APPROXIMATELY 5 GALLONS OF FUEL BURN PER HOUR, HE HAD APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS OF ENDURANCE. THE FLIGHT FROM AVQ TO HII WAS PLANNED TO TAKE TWO AND A HALF HOURS. THE PILOT STATED HE WANTED TO GET TO HII BEFORE NOON AND THAT THE WEATHER WAS FORECASTED TO DETERIORATE AFTER NOON. WHILE APPROACHING HII, PILOT STATED HE LOST 1000 RPM FOR A MINUTE, THEN THE ENGINE FAILED. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. PILOT STATED THERE WAS NO ROUGHNESS OR SHAKING DURING POWER LOSS. PILOT STATED INITIAL PLAN WAS TO LAND ON THE INTERSTATE BUT DETERMINED THERE WERE TOO MANY CARS. THE PILOT CHOSE TO LAND IN THE DESERT AND STRUCK A BERM AFTER TOUCHDOWN. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED FORWARD ONTO ITS ROOF, AND THE TAIL SEPARATED. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT SEE THE BERM. THE AIRCRAFT RECOVERY PERSONNEL FOUND NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS AND NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE AT THE SCENE. ## NTSB investigation None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search 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.