Cessna 150F accident near Weaver, Alabama, January 30, 1990
On January 30, 1990 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N6871F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Weaver, Alabama (Mcminn airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT MISJUDGED DISTANCE AND ALTITUDE TO THE RUNWAY DURING A SIMULATED ENGINE-OUT APPROACH, AND FAILED TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM TREES. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DUSK LIGHT CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THE MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 1990 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Weaver, Alabama · Mcminn · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6871F · no longer on the register · serial 15063471
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER RTRNG FROM A LOCAL FLT, THE PLT BEGAN PRACTICING LANDINGS AT DUSK. HE ELECTED TO MAKE A SIMULATED ENG-OUT LNDG ON RWY 26, WHICH HAD A DISPLACED THRESHOLD & 2320 FT OF USABLE RWY FOR LNDG. HE BEGAN THE APCH WHILE AT 700 FT AGL ON A LEFT DOWNWIND, ABEAM THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. AS THE ACFT WAS TURNING ONTO FINAL APCH, IT BRUSHED THE TOP OF A TREE. THE PLT LOWERED THE NOSE TO GAIN AIRSPEED, THEN THE ACFT ENTERED AN AREA OF TREES & CRASHED. THE PLT HAD BEEN FLYING A CESSNA 182, BUT THIS WAS THE 1ST FLT IN A CESSNA 150 IN NEARLY A YEAR.
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: 149 hours in all; 89 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 149 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,591 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 22, 1989; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,650 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.