Cessna 150D accident near New Haven, Indiana, August 20, 2023
On August 20, 2023 at about 11:29 pm local time, a 1963 Cessna 150D, registered N4150U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near New Haven, Indiana (Haven Center 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 loss of directional control while landing, which resulted in a runway excursion, impact with corn stalks, and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2023 · about 11:29 pm local time
- Place
- New Haven, Indiana · Haven Center · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150D, built 1963 · all 150Ds on the register
- Registration
- N4150U · registry record · serial 15060150
- 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 landing at a private grass airstrip, the airplane landed hard and bounced. The right wing struck corn stalks that bordered the airstrip. The airplane continued into the cornfield, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. During the runway excursion and subsequent nose over, the left wing impacted the ground and sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Runway excursion during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › (general) › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 152 hours in all; 152 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 120 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 2, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,657.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200 SERIES (piston); 4,657 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,617 ft by 53 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from KGWB, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KGWB 202355Z AUTO 35003KT 10SM CLR 28/23 A3010 RMK AO2
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 November 9, 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, 9 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.