- Date
- July 30, 1997, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Elgin, OK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8332MCessna A150K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970730037719A
- Case key
- 20299
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
fuel contamination, and the pilot's inadequate preflight of the airplane. Trees in the emergency landing area were considered a related factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he had fueled the airplane from his own 150 gallon tank, which had been idle for approximately 18 months. The pilot reported that he preflighted the airplane in the hangar before takeoff. He stated that the takeoff appeared normal until approximately '75 feet agl when the engine quit.' Also, he reported that he 'attempted to turn left back to a lane beside the runway, but he felt the airplane begin to stall and buffet.' He lowered the nose to gain speed and landed in some tree tops. Postcrash examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that 'the fuel in the airplane's fuel tank was dark and muddy looking.' The pilot reported (to the IIC) that 'he believes that the airplane's fuel was contaminated which caused his power failure.'
Factual narrative
On July 30, 1997, approximately 1400 central daylight time, a Cessna A150K, N8332M, was substantially damaged following loss of engine power during initial climb following takeoff from a private grass strip near Elgin, Oklahoma. The private pilot, sole occupant in the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was operated by a private individual under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight which was originating at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed.
According to the pilot, he had fueled the airplane from his own 150 gallon tank which had been idle for approximately 18 months. The pilot reported to the Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) that he preflighted the airplane in the hangar before takeoff. He stated that the takeoff appeared normal until approximately "75 feet agl when the engine quit." The pilot reported to the IIC that he "attempted to turn left back to a lane beside the runway, but he felt the airplane begin to stall and buffet." He lowered the airplane's nose to gain speed and landed in some tree tops.
Postcrash examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that "the fuel in the airplane's fuel tank was dark and muddy looking." The pilot reported to the IIC that "he believes that the airplane's fuel was contaminated which caused his power failure."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8332M
- Reported as
- Cessna A150K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- A15000032
- Airframe hours
- 2,662
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E20, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert M. Huber
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 1996 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,354 total · 534 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAW, 22 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.