Cessna 150L accident near Griffith, Indiana, June 29, 2000
On June 29, 2000 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N11527, was substantially damaged in an accident near Griffith, Indiana (Griffith-Merryville Airpo 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 failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from the building during taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2000 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Griffith, Indiana · Griffith-Merryville Airpo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N11527 · registry record · serial 15075489
- 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 he wanted to test his taxi abilities by limiting his usage of the brakes while taxiing. The pilot reported that during the taxi it was necessary to avoid an uneven area of tarmac and while maneuvering around the uneven area the right wingtip impacted a building. The pilot stated, "...tryed [tried] to bring back to left with heavy left brake result in right wing tip striking corner of hanger."
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 171 hours in all; 53 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,643 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 19, 2000; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 05C
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 162°F (72°C), dew point 138°F (59°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from GYY, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.