Cessna 150 accident near Lafayette, Tennessee, March 17, 1986
On March 17, 1986 at about 1:05 am local time, a Cessna 150, registered N2618J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lafayette, Tennessee (Lafayette airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1986 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- Lafayette, Tennessee · Lafayette · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N2618J · no longer on the register · serial 150-65618
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD COMPLETED A TOUCHDOWN AND WAS ON ROLLOUT WHEN HE NOTICED A DEER ON THE RUNWAY. HE INCREASED THE POWER ENOUGH TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH THE DEER, BUT STALLED THE AIRCRAFT AND COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE FAILING THE NOSE GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED INVERTED AND SKIDDED OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAVED SURFACE. RECEIVING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT & PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED LAFAYETTE AT 1900 HOURS. THE PILOT REPORTED DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW THAT AFTER THE INITIAL CLIMB, HE NOTICED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LIGHTS WERE DIMMING AND FELT THAT THE FLIGHT COULD NOT BE CONTINUED. HE STATED THAT THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND LANDING WAS MADE WITHOUT USING THE LANDING LIGHTS. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE PILOT SAID HE SAW A DEER ON THE RUNWAY. HE THEN PROCEEDEDTO INCREASE POWER TO GO AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED HIGH ENOUGH TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE DEER, BUT SETTLED BACK TO THE GROUND. THE NOSE GEAR FAILED AND THE ACFT FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,848 hours in all; 257 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 6,644 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,447 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 25, 1985; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,640 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.