Cessna 150M accident near Beaufort, North Carolina, March 18, 1990
On March 18, 1990 at about 7:20 am local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N704EA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beaufort, North Carolina (Beaufort-Morehead City airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S DELAYED PULL UP FROM AN INTENTIONAL DESCENT DURING AN ABORTED SUICIDE ATTEMPT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 1990 · about 7:20 am local time
- Place
- Beaufort, North Carolina · Beaufort-Morehead City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N704EA · registry record · serial 15078542
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT CONFESSED TO POLICE THAT HE BECAME INTOXICATED AND FLEW THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. HE STATED THAT AFTER RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT TO LAND, HE DOVE THE AIRPLANE AT THE GROUND TO COMMIT SUICIDE. BEFORE IMPACT, HE TRIED TO ARREST THE DESCENT BY PULLING AFT ON THE YOKE, BUT THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tar Heel Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: MRH
- Destination: MRH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 4,252 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; scat at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:57 am from EWN, 30 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N704EA 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.