Cessna 150H accident near Paris, Texas, March 13, 2021
On March 13, 2021 at about 2:05 pm local time, a 1968 Cessna 150H, registered N50326, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Paris, Texas (Private airport). It was a personal 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 decision to takeoff with known obstacles on the runway and his subsequent failure to avoid the windsock on takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 2021 · about 2:05 pm local time
- Place
- Paris, Texas · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H, built 1968 · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N50326 · registry record · serial 15069229
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while performing a soft and short field takeoff, he allowed the airplane to drift left to avoid crawfish chimneys on the grass runway. Immediately after the wheels left the ground the left wing impacted a windsock. The pilot continued to climb to about 30 ft above the ground at which time the airplane’s left wing lost lift and began to turn towards nearby trees. The pilot elected to land and during the landing the nose gear dropped, dug into the soft ground, and collapsed. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and the right wing. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported he was aware of the crawfish chimneys and normally they would have been removed before the flight, but the tractor used for that purpose was not working. He said he should not have flown until the runway was cleared and paid more attention to the airplane’s alignment on the runway.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during prior to flight
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Response/compensation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › (general) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 900 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 870 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 24, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,322 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 7, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor 0-200 SERIES (piston); 5,322 hours total
The flight
- Destination: SLR Sulpher Springs TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36/1, 1,940 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 3 knots
- Sky: overcast at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 65°F (18°C), dew point 60°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from KPRX, 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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 19, 2021. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 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.