Cessna 150D accident near Madison, Indiana, March 22, 2009
On March 22, 2009 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Cessna 150D, registered N5920T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Madison, Indiana (Madison Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight 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 loss of engine power due to the failure of the engine's muffler which melted and grounded the ignition P-lead wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 2009 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Madison, Indiana · Madison Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150D · all 150Ds on the register
- Registration
- N5920T · registry record · serial 15060620
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a local pleasure flight the pilot noticed that the engine oil temperature indication was rising. He reduced the throttle, and then smelled something and saw smoke coming from under the instrument panel. He opened the window to alleviate the smoke. About 3 to 4 minutes from the airport, the engine lost power and the pilot performed a forced landing to a golf course. The nose landing gear collapsed during the forced landing, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's firewall. Examination of the airplane subsequent to the accident revealed that the aft portion of the muffler was separated from the assembly allowing hot exhaust gasses to enter the engine compartment. The magneto P-lead wire was melted and shorted to the airplane structure.
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
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise)
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine exhaust › (general) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng wiring › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 55 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 30 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 15, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,762 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 12, 2009
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IMS Madison IN at 6:00 pm
- Destination: IMS Madison IN
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.