Cessna 150F accident near Ponca City, Oklahoma, May 1, 2016
On May 1, 2016 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 150F, registered N8619G, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Ponca City, Oklahoma (Ponca City Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel's improper installation of the elevator bolt, which resulted in a loss of elevator control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2016 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ponca City, Oklahoma · Ponca City Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F, built 1965 · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8619G · no longer on the register · serial 15062719
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot stated that, during the landing flare at the conclusion of a local flight, the airplane's nose "shot up drastically." The pilot "gently" pressed forward on the controls to lower the nose, and the airplane pitched down and impacted the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that a bolt that attached the left elevator to the control system was not installed, and the FAA inspector reported that the bolt was found undamaged inside the elevator tip. According to the pilot, maintenance personnel had recently removed the left elevator, and it is likely that they failed to properly secure the bolt when they reinstalled the elevator.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Maintenance personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 550 hours in all; 540 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,234.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 9, 2015; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 3,235 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PNC Ponca City OK at 3:45 pm
- Destination: PNC Ponca City OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 7,201 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from PNC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 11, 2017. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Maintenance Log Excerpt | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Correspondence | PDF, 1 page | 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.