Cessna 150M accident near South St. Paul, Minnesota, September 9, 2001
On September 9, 2001 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N6142K, was substantially damaged in an accident near South St. Paul, Minnesota (South St. Paul Municipal 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 student pilot failed to maintain directional control. A factor was his lack of total flight experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2001 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- South St. Paul, Minnesota · South St. Paul Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N6142K · registry record · serial 15077550
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during takeoff when it settled back to the runway and veered off the left side of the runway. The solo student pilot was intending to practice takeoffs and landings. The pilot reported he initiated the takeoff. After normal lift off and climb to approximately 20 feet AGL, the aircraft drifted to the left and struck the ground at the left edge of the runway. The aircraft ran off of the runway onto the grass paralleling the runway until the nose landing gear folded and the aircraft stopped. The pilot reported there were no problems with the flight controls or aircraft The inspection of the airplane revealed no airworthiness issues. The student pilot had a total of 18 flight hours.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 18 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGS South St. Paul MN at 1:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from SGS
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.