Cessna 150J accident near Willmar, Minnesota, October 18, 2017
On October 18, 2017 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 1968 Cessna 150J, registered N50609, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Willmar, Minnesota (Willmar Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper conduct of the soft-field takeoff, which led to his failure to attain adequate airspeed, and the flight instructor’s subsequent improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2017 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Willmar, Minnesota · Willmar Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J, built 1968 · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N50609 · no longer on the register · serial 15069430
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot stated that, when he initiated the takeoff for a flight review on the damp, soft runway, the airplane accelerated slowly. The flight instructor reported that he felt the airplane's nose "dive" twice, so he instructed the pilot to increase back pressure and get the airplane in ground effect because of the soft runway. The instructor then took control of the airplane, and it lifted off the runway and subsequently became airborne about 2,000 ft down the 3,000-ft-long runway. The instructor lowered the nose in ground effect to gain airspeed, but the airplane did not accelerate, and it was nearing an aerodynamic stall. The instructor then chose to land on a nearby field. He turned the airplane toward the field but had to level it off because he was concerned it was going to stall. During the landing, he flared the airplane too high, and the airplane impacted the field hard on the main landing gear. The nose landing gear dug into the soft terrain and collapsed, and the airplane then nosed over. During a postaccident test-run, the engine started without hesitation. The engine ran smoothly at various power settings, including full throttle. Given that the engine operated normally during the postaccident test-run, it is likely that the airplane did not accelerate properly due to the pilot's improper soft-field takeoff, which resulted in his failure to attain adequate airspeed. The instructor's subsequent improper landing flare led to a hard, forced landing.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,300 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 6,100 as pilot in command; 2,975 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 2, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 883 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 843 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 14, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,635.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 21, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BDH Willmar MN at 3:45 pm
- Destination: BDH Willmar MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 2,980 ft by 250 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from BDH, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on December 6, 2018. 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 - Flight Instructor | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Private Pilot | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Summary of Engine Run | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Aircraft and Engine Log | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | 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.