Cessna 150J accident near Kure Beach, North Carolina, April 25, 1991
On April 25, 1991 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N50738, was destroyed in an accident near Kure Beach, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S POOR JUDGEMENT, WHILE IMPAIRED BY ALCOHOL, AND HIS MISJUDGEMENT OF ALTITUDE/CLEARANCE ABOVE THE WATER AFTER INITIATING A LOW PASS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 1991 · about 3:00 pm local time · cases in 1991
- Place
- Kure Beach, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N50738 · registry record · serial 15069520
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE 24 YEAR OLD PILOT FLEW THE AIRCRAFT AT LOW ALTITUDE OVER THE SURFACE OF THE OCEAN. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT ITS LANDING GEAR HIT A WAVE, THEN THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. THE PILOT WAS RESCUED, BUT THE PASSENGER DROWNED. TOXICOLOGY TESTING OF THE PILOT AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED A BLOOD/ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.165%. THE PILOT HAD FLOWN THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT THE OWNER'S CONSENT. THE WRECKAGE WAS NOT RECOVERED FROM THE OCEAN.
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: 125 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,106 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Wilmington NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from ILM, 16 miles away
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 N50738 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N50738 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 150 7,994 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-200 329 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,762 since 1982 · 305 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,120 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N50738 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ATL91LA088.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.