Cessna 150J accident near Willard, North Carolina, December 12, 1990
On December 12, 1990 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N60840, was substantially damaged in an accident near Willard, North Carolina (None 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT'S SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR LANDING HIS AIRPLANE AND HIS FAILURE TO RAISE THE FLAPS AFTER LANDING. THIS RESULTED IN HIS INABILITY TO DECELERATE DURING THE LANDING ROLL. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROUGH, UNEVEN RUNWAY CONDITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 1990 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Willard, North Carolina · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N60840 · no longer on the register · serial 15070614
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT ELECTED TO FLY HIS AIRPLANE TO A FRIEND'S FARM RATHER THAN THE LOCAL AIRPORT. SINCE THERE WAS NO AIRSTRIP AT THE FARM, THE PILOT AND THE FARM OWNER OBTAINED A FIRE TRUCK AND DROVE IT BACK AND FORTH OVER A PLOWED DIRT FIELD TO MAKE A LANDING SURFACE. THE PILOT THEN FLEW HIS AIRPLANE OVER TO THE FARM FOR LANDING. UPON TOUCHDOWN, HE COULD NOT LOWER THE NOSEWHEEL TO THE GROUND DUE TO THE ROUGH, UNEVEN CENTERLINE. HE ALSO FORGOT TO RAISE HIS FLAPS UPON LANDING. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE FIRE TRUCK, WHICH WAS PARKED AT THE END OF THE 'RUNWAY'. IT THEN STRUCK AN IRON BAR AND ANOTHER VEHICLE BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD LANDED ON SIMILAR SURFACES ABOUT 80 TIMES BEFORE. AN FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE ENTIRE RUNWAY SURFACE WAS VERY ROUGH, WITH RUTS, HOLES, AND TIRE TRACKS.
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: 540 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A48 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ACZ Wallace NC at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 800 ft by 13 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:51 pm from EWN
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.