Cessna 150 accident near Weslaco, Texas, March 5, 2025
On March 5, 2025 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1974 Cessna 150, registered N3341V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Weslaco, Texas (Mid Valley Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare while attempting to land with a tailwind, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2025 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Weslaco, Texas · Mid Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 M, built 1974 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N3341V · registry record · serial 15076467
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a practice landing when the airplane touched down hard on the tailwheel, resulting in substantial damage to the aft fuselage. The pilot attempted to abort the landing but was unable to manipulate the elevator control surface due to the damage. During the attempt to abort the landing, the airplane struck a sign on the left side of the runway that separated the right main landing gear from the fuselage. The airplane then ground looped to the right, exited the right side of the runway, and came to rest. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 32 with wind from 070° at 10 knots. The pilot reported having 5 hours as pilot in command (PIC) in the accident airplane before the accident and that he had not flown in about 4 months. The combination of inexperience and not having flown recently likely affected the pilot’s performance.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Ground collision during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Ability to respond/compensate
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 220 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 150 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 29, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 475 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 17, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTXW Weslaco TX at 8:50 pm
- Destination: KTXW Weslaco TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 6,002 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from KTXW
Weather report (METAR): METAR KTXW 051955Z AUTO 07010KT 10SM BKN038 BKN045 28/05 A3008 RMK AO2 T02810048=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The 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 May 9, 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 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.