Cessna 150 G accident near Dunlap, Tennessee, May 12, 2001
On May 12, 2001 at about 4:25 pm local time, a Cessna 150 G, registered N3370J, was destroyed in an accident near Dunlap, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain flying speed that resulted in a stall and subsequent loss of control in flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2001 · about 4:25 pm local time
- Place
- Dunlap, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 G · all 150 Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3370J · no longer on the register · serial 15066070
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Sheriff's Department reported that an unidentified witness reported seeing the airplane circling left and, subsequently, made a hard right turn, and then spiraled down in the immediate vicinity of the accident site. When the flight failed to arrive at the destination airport, the authorities were notified that the airplane was missing. Aerial and ground searches began and lasted 14 days. The airplane was found by a ground search party on, May 26, 2001. Examination of the accident showed that the airplane was in a nose low attitude and the engine assembly was buried about 2 feet into the ground. Examination of the airplane and engine failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction or component failure. Local authorities stated rain and low clouds were in the vicinity of the accident site about the time of the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 847 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JWN Nashville TN at 2:25 pm
- Destination: 1A3 Copperhill TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; a few clouds at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from CHA, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.