Cessna 170 accident near Mooresville, North Carolina, October 8, 1989
On October 8, 1989 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 170, registered N11575, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mooresville, North Carolina (Morrison 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUGHDOWN POINT ON THE UNIDIRECTIONAL RUNWAY. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE UNFAVORABLE WIND AND TERRAIN CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 1989 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mooresville, North Carolina · Morrison · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N11575 · registry record · serial 19540
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT TOOK OFF FROM A UNIDIRECTIONAL AIRSTRIP FOR A LOCAL FLT. BY THE TIME HE HAD RETURNED, THE WIND SHIFTED TO THE NORTH & WAS GUSTING TO 15 KTS (A QUARTERING TAILWIND FOR LANDING). THE PLT FLEW OVER THE STRIP TO EVALUATE THE WIND & ELECTED TO LAND. DURING THE LANDING, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY. AFTER BEING COMMITTED TO LAND, THE PLT APPLIED HVY BRAKES. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE STEERED THE ACFT OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY AT THE DEP END, WHERE IT ENCTRD TALL GRASS ON SOFT TERRAIN & NOSED OVER.
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: 421 hours in all; 175 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 1,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:55 pm from HKY
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL90LA004.