Cessna 150L accident near Arecibo, Puerto Rico, December 6, 2002
On December 6, 2002 at about 3:22 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N11294, was destroyed in an accident near Arecibo, Puerto Rico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots failure to follow the normal takeoff checklist (Wing Flaps-Up) and failure to maintain airspeed after takeoff that resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 2002 · about 3:22 pm local time
- Place
- Arecibo, Puerto Rico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N11294 · no longer on the register · serial 15075304
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was observed by witnesses taxiing out for takeoff and on the takeoff roll with the flaps extended. The airplane reached about 300 feet and the flaps were still observed in the down position. The airplane was in a climb attitude and the airspeed was described as slow. The witness looked away and heard a loud noise seconds later coming from the north side of the runway followed by black smoke. Radio contact was not established. The witness drove to the crash site and observed the airplane in a nose down attitude on fire with the tail section on the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed the flaps were in the full down position. The checklist states flap deflections greater than 10-degrees are not recommended at any time for takeoff. Examination of the airframe, flight controls and engine assembly and accessories revealed no anomalies.
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: 400 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,048 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2002; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ABO Arecibo PR at 3:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from TJBQ, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.