Cessna 150D accident near Greenfield, Indiana, July 21, 2014
On July 21, 2014 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1964 Cessna 150D, registered N4545U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Greenfield, Indiana (Indianapolis Regional Airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot failed to maintain directional control while landing with a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2014 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Greenfield, Indiana · Indianapolis Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150D, built 1964 · all 150Ds on the register
- Registration
- N4545U · no longer on the register · serial 15060545
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot, who was on his second solo flight, reported that he maintained 68 mph and was on centerline of runway 25 with a slight left crosswind correction as he flared the airplane for landing. After touchdown, the airplane started drifting to the left. He reported that he attempted to correct the drift by applying rudder; however, he applied both the brakes and rudder causing the airplane to veer off the left side of the runway. The propeller impacted the ground, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. The student pilot reported that there was no malfunction or system failure of the airplane before the accident. The recorded wind at the airport was 170 degrees at 4 knots.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 21 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,964 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor 0-200-A (piston); 6,010 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MQJ Greenfield IN at 7:20 pm
- Destination: MQJ Greenfield IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 4,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 7:10 pm from MQJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on August 8, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB 6120-1 Pilot Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.