Cessna 150G accident near Concord, North Carolina, September 15, 1987
On September 15, 1987 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150G, registered N2280J, was destroyed in an accident near Concord, North Carolina. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- September 15, 1987 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Concord, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N2280J · no longer on the register · serial 15065480
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON CLIMBOUT, THE STU PLT SWITCHED RADIOS TO THE DEST UNICOM FREQ. UNABLE TO CONTACT ANYONE ON THAT FREQ, THE DEPARTURE ARPT FREQ WAS RESELECTED. NO CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED ON THIS FREQ SO THE STU PLT ATTEMPTED TO RTRN TO THE ARPT. THE HAZE WAS VERY THICK AND THE DEPARTURE ARPT WAS OVERFLOWN. AFTER ABOUT 30 MIN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE STU PLT WAS DISORIENTED. FOLLOWING PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS TO LAND PRIOR TO RUNNING OUT OF FUEL OR FLYING INTO NIGHT CONDITIONS, THE STU PLT STARTED LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE FIELD TO ACCOMPLISH THE OFF ARPT LANDING. REPORTEDLY THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH DURING THIS SEARCH. AN APPROACH WITH AVAILABLE POWER WAS MADE TO A SOFT FIELD. UPON APPLICATION OF BRAKES, THE ACFT NOSED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED A VOICE ACTIVATED HEADSET AND AN UNLABELED SWITCH WHICH CONTROLLED COMMUNICATION OUTSIDE THE ACFT. THE NAVIGATION RADIO WAS NOT SET TO EITHER OF THE THREE VOR'S WITHIN RANGE. A WRITE-UP EARLIER IN THE DAY FOR THE ACFT STATED THAT THE COM RADIO WOULD NOT TRANSMIT.
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: student
- Flight time: 68 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,394 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 17, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 28A Matthews NC at 10:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from CLT, 24 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.