Cessna 150 accident near Midland, Michigan, June 1, 2004
On June 1, 2004 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N959B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Midland, Michigan. It was an instructional 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 control of the airplane during the go-around. A factor associated with the accident was the student's lack of experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2004 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Midland, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N959B · no longer on the register · serial 17201
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with the terrain following a loss of control during a go-around. The student reported he maintained an airspeed of 70 miles per hour with 20 degrees of flaps until he began the landing flare. He stated the airplane ballooned and drifted "slightly right" during the flare. He applied left aileron in an attempt to realign the airplane, but it veered to the left. He stated he then added full power at which time the airplane banked to the left. The left wing contacted the ground and the airplane cart wheeled, slid across a taxiway, and came to rest alongside a ditch. The student pilot stated he made 5 takeoffs and landing with his flight instructor on the morning of the accident. The accident occurred on the first solo landing of the day. The accident occurred on the student's second supervised solo flight. He reported having .5 hours of pilot in command flight time prior to this flight.
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: 14 hours in all; 14 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3BS Midland MI
- Destination: 3BS Midland MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.