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 October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 1991 · about 3:00 pm local time
- 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
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.