Cessna 150M accident near Durand, Michigan, September 30, 2004
On September 30, 2004 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N45673, was substantially damaged in an accident near Durand, Michigan. 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 elongated exhaust valve leading to the in-flight loss of engine power during initial climb. A factor was the transmission wire the airplane impacted during its emergency landing after takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2004 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Durand, Michigan · 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
- N45673 · registry record · serial 15077015
- 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 on impact with a power line and terrain following an in-flight loss of engine power during the flight's initial climb. The pilot stated, "The second takeoff North almost [zero] wind, [the engine] cut out, no power [and] was about only 60 [feet] up ... . It struck a Consumers Power cable with the [right] wheel, not really knowing what may be damaged, I put it down in a field [and] got it stopped, and shut it down [and] walked home." The pilot reported that a compression ring was found broken and that an exhaust valve was found elongated. He reported the parts accumulated 3,450 hours and 1,424.2 since overhaul.
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: 286 hours in all; 286 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 286 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,912.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2004; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Durand MN at 10:50 pm
- Destination: 5D3 Owosso MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 360, 1,320 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from FNT
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.