Cessna 150L accident near Munster, Indiana, June 17, 2001
On June 17, 2001 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N6557G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Munster, Indiana. 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
Engine failure during takeoff due to water contaminating the fuel, the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, and the low altitude. Factors relating to this accident were the attempted emergency landing after takeoff and the fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2001 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Munster, Indiana · 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
- N6557G · no longer on the register · serial 72057
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the previous flight, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power during cruise flight. The airplane was successfully forced landed in the soybean field by another pilot. The owner/accident pilot said that when he arrived at the field, he and one of his line service employees removed the airplane's cowling and "examined [the] control cables, etc." They checked the fuel at both of the fuel tank drains and the main sump. They also did a visual check of the fuel in the tanks. They started the engine with the cowling off and did an engine run up. The owner/pilot shut the engine down, replaced the cowling, restarted the engine, and taxied the airplane to the east edge of the field. The owner/pilot said, "I proceeded to do another run up with mags checking good. I lowered flaps to 20 degrees and started a take off roll to the west." He said that the ground roll and climb out seemed normal and the engine sounded okay. The owner/pilot said that at about 50 to 75 feet above the ground the engine quit. "I pumped the throttle a few times to no avail. With an 8 foot [high] cyclone fence ahead of me, I decided to turn 90 degrees to the left." The owner/pilot said that about the same time the airplane was "making ground contact nose heavy and flipped over on the aircraft's back." The owner/pilot said that he suspected water contamination. He said that they had this problem before with this airplane. The airplane had been tied outside for a couple of weeks, and that they had experienced some heavy rain during that time. An examination of the airplane revealed water in the fuel.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,200 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 7, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,029.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 22, 2000; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Munster IN at 7:00 pm
- Destination: IGQ Lansing IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from GYY, 3 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.