Cessna 150F accident near Mckinney, Texas, January 4, 2025
On January 4, 2025 at about 3:44 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 150F, registered N3589L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Mckinney, Texas (Mckinney National Airport). It was an instructional 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 flight instructor’s inadequate supervision and delayed remedial action and the student pilot’s failure to maintain a proper landing flare, which resulted in a nose down impact with the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 2025 · about 3:44 pm local time
- Place
- Mckinney, Texas · Mckinney National Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F, built 1965 · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3589L · registry record · serial 15062389
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot and flight instructor were practicing touch-and-go landings with a left crosswind of about 5 knots. The student pilot reported that the airplane began to drift right during the landing flare. As he corrected for the right drift, the airplane pitched nose down and landed on the nose landing gear. The nose landing gear then collapsed, and the airplane slid to a stop on the runway in a nose down attitude. Several engine mount tubes fractured when the nose landing gear collapsed aft. The student pilot reported that he did not maintain a proper landing flare while he corrected for the right drift.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear attach section › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 6,870 hours in all; 63 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 6,597 as pilot in command; 5,604 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 24, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 23 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,351 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 1, 2024; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 4,351 hours total
- Operator: Texins Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: TKI Mckinney TX at 3:33 pm
- Destination: TKI Mckinney TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 7,002 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from TKI
Weather report (METAR): KTKI 041553Z 13008KT 10SM BKN028 OVC048 12/07 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP225 T01220072
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Airplane at Accident Site, Right Side
Photograph 2 – Airplane at Accident Site, Left Side
Photograph 3 – Engine Mount TubesThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 18, 2025. 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, 4 pages · our copy | 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.