Cessna 150F accident near Sully, Iowa, May 31, 2011
On May 31, 2011 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N7818F, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Sully, Iowa (Sully Municipal 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
The pilot's failure to attain an adequate climb rate during the initial takeoff, resulting in the airplane settling back down and departing the runway. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2011 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sully, Iowa · Sully Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7818F · registry record · serial 150-63918
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his passenger were taking off on a 2,130-foot turf runway. During the takeoff, the airplane lifted off, remained in ground effect, veered to the left, and then settled back onto the runway where it subsequently impacted a sign and a tree. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that two of the No. 4 cylinder's three piston compression rings had fractured but remained intact. Since two rings were intact and the third ring was not fractured, compression in the cylinder should not have been substantially reduced. Postaccident computations of ground roll distance showed that the acceleration achieved during the accident takeoff roll was almost equal to that of the airplane's expected performance on hard-surface runways, indicating that there was not a substantial decrease in available propulsive thrust at the time of takeoff. Federal Aviation Administration guidance recommends that pilots ensure that runway length is equal to the aircraft manufacturer's published takeoff or landing distance plus an 80 percent safety margin for takeoffs on a hard surface and double the manual distance for takeoffs on sod.
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
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Performance calculations › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,684 hours in all; 186 in this make and model; 109 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 11,646 as pilot in command; 1,170 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 17, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,783 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8C2 Sully IA at 1:45 pm
- Destination: PEA Pella IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 2,130 ft by 120 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from TNU, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.