Cessna 150G N3121J

Summary

On 18 May 2007 at about 15:15 local time, a Cessna 150G registered N3121J was involved in an accident near Pahrump, Nevada, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 May 2007 at 15:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Pahrump, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Valley View Airport (NV00)

Coordinates

36.2556, -115.9925

Aircraft

Cessna 150G

Registration

N3121J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pahrump → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA07LA126

1 person died.

The loss of engine power due to fuel contamination followed by the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadequate preflight and an inadequate 100-hour maintenance inspection by other maintenance personnel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported the airplane departed on runway 18, and approximately 50 feet above the ground, the engine began to sputter. It started to turn left, back towards the airfield, and descend in a left wing low, nose-low attitude to ground impact. The airplane's empennage failed in a scorpion like manner and it came to rest inverted. The most recent 100-hour/annual inspection was performed on April 23, 2007, with a tachometer time of 2,393 hours. The airplane had been flown approximately 7 hours during the last 13 months. No preimpact mechanical engine or airframe anomalies, which might have affected the airplane’s performance, were identified. A decal near the left fuel tank filler port indicated the use of auto-gas was approved, but no associated FAA Major Repair and Alteration form 337 was found in the aircraft paperwork. The right fuel tank was breached and did not contain fuel. The left fuel tank contained yellow colored fuel. The firewall mounted fuel strainer screen was discolored, and the reservoir contained brownish-yellow fuel, which was contaminated with dirt and tested positive for water. The carburetor inlet screen was partially obstructed with dirt, rust, and sand.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.