What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 19, 2025, privacy data omitted, a Cessna 150, departed french valley airport (F70), Murrieta, California, on an out-and-back flight to lake havasu city airport (khii) and return. The airman reported departing with approximately 4.5 hours of fuel onboard. The outbound flight to khii was uneventful. Based on previous experience conducting this route, the airman believed there was sufficient fuel for the return flight to french valley airport.
The return flight was conducted under VFR at night. After more than two hours of flight, the airman encountered stronger-than-expected headwinds and mountain wave activity. During the flight, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The airman attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. The airman then established best glide speed and searched for a suitable emergency landing area in the dark, hilly terrain.
The aircraft was subsequently landed in an open field approximately 6 nautical miles east (087° bearing) of french valley airport (F70). During the forced landing, the aircraft sustained substantial damage, including damage to the nose cone, engine cowling, and the right wing leading edge. Metal rebar from a vineyard also punctured the fuselage. The airman was not injured in the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 19, 2025, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A CESSNA 150, DEPARTED FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT (F70), MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA, ON AN OUT-AND-BACK FLIGHT TO LAKE HAVASU CITY AIRPORT (KHII) AND RETURN. THE AIRMAN REPORTED DEPARTING WITH APPROXIMATELY 4.5 HOURS OF FUEL ONBOARD. THE OUTBOUND FLIGHT TO KHII WAS UNEVENTFUL. BASED ON PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE CONDUCTING THIS ROUTE, THE AIRMAN BELIEVED THERE WAS SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE RETURN FLIGHT TO FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT.
THE RETURN FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER VFR AT NIGHT. AFTER MORE THAN TWO HOURS OF FLIGHT, THE AIRMAN ENCOUNTERED STRONGER-THAN-EXPECTED HEADWINDS AND MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE AIRMAN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE AIRMAN THEN ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDE SPEED AND SEARCHED FOR A SUITABLE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA IN THE DARK, HILLY TERRAIN.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD APPROXIMATELY 6 NAUTICAL MILES EAST (087° BEARING) OF FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT (F70). DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, INCLUDING DAMAGE TO THE NOSE CONE, ENGINE COWLING, AND THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE. METAL REBAR FROM A VINEYARD ALSO PUNCTURED THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRMAN WAS NOT INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8155S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.