Cessna 150G accident near Pocahantas, Iowa, December 20, 2022
On December 20, 2022 at about 1:15 am local time, a 1966 Cessna 150G, registered N2930J, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Pocahantas, Iowa (Pocahontas Muni 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 landing flare which resulted in a bounced landing and the nose landing gear collapsing. Contributing to the accident was the airplane's encounter with adverse weather conditions which led to structural icing that affected flight characteristics and obscured the pilot's vision. Also contributing to the accident were the self-induced and external pressures that influenced the pilot’s decision to initiate and continue the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2022 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Pocahantas, Iowa · Pocahontas Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G, built 1966 · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N2930J · registry record · serial 15065730
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated private pilot reported that, during a night cross-country flight, the airplane encountered ice that began to accumulate on the windshield and obscured the pilot's vision. The pilot reported that during landing he had no pitch control, the airplane landed hard, and bounced. On the third bounce, the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest upright on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated in his report that he allowed external factors to influence his decision making related to the flight. He noted that he wanted to make it back home for the Christmas holiday and that he had already missed a day of work. He also stated that he did not obtain updated weather information and that if he had he may have made the decision to not start the flight.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Structural icing during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weather planning › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Obscuration › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Personality/attitude › Motivation/respond to pressure › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 125 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 53 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 9, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 4,500 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSAZ Staples MN
- Runway 30, 4,100 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from KFOD, 24 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KFOD 200056Z AUTO 31007KT 9SM -SN OVC009 M03/M04 A3027 RMK AO2 SNE22B40 CIG 006V011 SLP284 P0000
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 April 20, 2023. 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN23LA091.