Cessna 150H accident near Scyrene, Alabama, October 14, 1987
On October 14, 1987 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N22553, was substantially damaged in an accident near Scyrene, Alabama. It was an aerial observation 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
- October 14, 1987 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Scyrene, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N22553 · no longer on the register · serial 15068357
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ENGINE LOST PWR DURING A LOW-ALTITUDE POWERLINE PATROL. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LDG. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE FUEL TANK VENT SYSTEM WAS OBSTRUCTED WITH MUD-DAUBER NESTS IN SEVERAL PLACES. THE CROSSOVER VENT TUBE, LOCATED IN THE TOP OF THE CABIN, WAS FOUND COMPLETELY BLOCKED. THE LEFT WING VENT TUBE WAS FOUND PARTIALLY BLOCKED. NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE WAS FOUND DURING EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE. THE ACFT HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN ANOTHER ACCIDENT APPROX 4 MONTHS EARLIER, AND THE WINGS WERE REPORTEDLY REMOVED FROM THE ACFT DURING REPAIRS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 540 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 178 in the last 90 days; 412 as pilot in command; 53 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,586 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 28, 1987; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MVC Andalusia AL at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- 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.
Other NTSB records under N22553 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.