Cessna 150L accident near Trenton, Michigan, February 12, 2011
On February 12, 2011 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N6622G, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Trenton, Michigan. It was a banner-towing 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 preload torque on a connecting rod nut and bolt, which precipitated a separation of the connecting rod from the engine's crankshaft and resulted in the total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 12, 2011 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Trenton, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N6622G · registry record · serial 15072122
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had been conducting a banner towing operation for about 55 minutes when he felt a heavy vibration and heard a “loud bang.” The airplane's engine subsequently lost power, and the pilot executed a forced landing. During the forced landing, the nose landing gear collapsed when it contacted "heavy snow and unimproved terrain," resulting in substantial damage to the firewall. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that one of the connecting rods had separated from the crankshaft. Metallurgical examination determined that one of the two connecting rod bolts had failed in overstress. The second connecting rod bolt was deformed but otherwise intact; its associated nut had separated from the bolt and was undamaged. The lack of damage to one of the connecting rod nuts in conjunction with the overstress failure of the opposing bolt was consistent with a loss of installation torque on the intact nut. The engine had accumulated 2,836 hours since overhaul. The operator did not supply engine overhaul maintenance records but provided a statement indicating that the installed bolts and nuts were new at the engine cylinder's last maintenance (an engine manufacturer service bulletin instructs that connecting rod bolts and nuts be replaced any time they are removed). However, due to the lack of maintenance records and the number of hours since last overhaul, the investigation could not conclusively attribute the loss of preload torque to the overhaul operation.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 15, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,201 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 7, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,760 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Drake Aerial Enterprises LLC DBA
The flight
- Departed from: VLL Troy MI at 4:00 pm
- Destination: ONZ Grosse Ile MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from DTW, 9 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N6622G 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.