Cessna 150M accident near Dyer, Indiana, November 12, 2001
On November 12, 2001 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N63262, was destroyed in an accident near Dyer, Indiana. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the flight crew to maintain adequate airspeed, resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight, his impairment due to the use of over-the-counter medication is a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 2001 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Dyer, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N63262 · no longer on the register · serial 15077213
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an instructional flight the airplane entered an inadvertent spin and subsequently impacted the terrain. The plotted aircraft radar track data showed the airplane performing a maneuver consistent with a clearing turn prior to the airplane decelerating at a constant altitude. The plotted data then shows the airplane reversing course and entering a spiraling descent. The average descent rate for the last 50.82 seconds of aircraft radar track data was 2,125 feet/minute. No anomalies were found with the accident airplane that could be associated with a pre-impact condition. Diphenhydramine (trade name Benadryl), an over-the-counter antihistamine with sedative effects, was detected in the blood of the certified flight instructor (CFI) at a level consistent with that found about 2-3 hours following ingestion of a single maximum over-the-counter dose. The effects of over-the-counter antihistamines, including diphenhydramine, was evaluated in a medical study, which concluded that a normal over-the-counter dose of diphenhydramine adversely affected performance more than a 0.1% blood alcohol concentration. The study further concluded that there was no correlation between drowsiness and impairment.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,447 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 115 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 1,267 as pilot in command; 964 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 7, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Dual student
- Flight time: 5 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,156.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 13, 2001; 52.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-200-A48 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Chicago Business Air Center
The flight
- Departed from: IGQ Lansing IL at 9:38 pm
- Destination: IGQ Lansing IL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 9:46 pm from IGQ, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.