Cessna 150L accident near Madison, Wisconsin, September 1, 2001
On September 1, 2001, a Cessna 150L, registered N19302, was substantially damaged in an accident near Madison, Wisconsin (Blackhawk 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 deer which struck the empennage of the airplane during the landing flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2001
- Place
- Madison, Wisconsin · Blackhawk · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N19302 · registry record · serial 15074319
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was struck by a deer while landing. The pilot reported that the passenger reported seeing a small deer off the right side of the runway when the airplane was in the landing flare. The pilot reported that just prior to the nose touching down he heard a loud sound which he likened to a low frequency clunk. He reported that he did not have any difficulty in controlling the airplane during the remainder of the landing. The passenger reported to the pilot that she looked back and saw a deer climbing to its feet and running into the brush beside the runway. The pilot taxied to the ramp and upon inspecting the airplane he discovered "...the empennage had been destabilized to the right. There was remnant of animal fur on the left lateral leading edge of left stabilizers."
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: 180 hours in all; 151 in this make and model; 115 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 24, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,074 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 10, 2001; 5 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: 87Y Madison WI
- Destination: 87Y Madison WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 2,146 ft by 56 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI01LA301.