Cessna 150M accident near Festus, Missouri, April 20, 2005
On April 20, 2005 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N45522, was substantially damaged in an accident near Festus, Missouri (Festus Memorial Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight weather evaluation and his failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing approach. A contributing factor to the accident was the pilot's inadvertent flight in close proximity to a severe thunderstorm associated with high velocity/gusting winds and rain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2005 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Festus, Missouri · Festus Memorial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N45522 · no longer on the register · serial 15076959
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted terrain while attempting to land at the departure airport immediately after takeoff. The passenger reported that prior to takeoff the weather at the airport was "sunny and nice, with a slight breeze." The passenger stated that the takeoff was "real smooth" and when they turned to the west they immediately saw dark clouds. The passenger reported that the pilot immediately decided to return to the airport because of the approaching storm. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane banking erratically while on approach to runway 18 and one witness stated the airplane "turned on its left side and went behind the trees." The airplane impacted left wing first approximately 36 feet off the left side of runway 18. The wreckage path was about 77 feet long and was on a 145 degree magnetic heading. The on-site inspection of the airframe, engine, and related systems did not reveal any evidence of pre-impact malfunction. The passenger reported that the pilot did not verify weather conditions prior to departure and that the approaching storm was not visible from the airport. The airport is located in a valley which is flanked by higher elevation to the west and east. A Convective SIGMET was current at the time of the accident and encompassed the accident location. The Convective SIGMET was issued for a severe line of thunderstorms moving east-southeast at 20 knots, with cloud tops reaching 41,000 feet mean sea level (msl), wind gusts of 60 knots, and 1.5-inch diameter hail. Intense to extreme weather radar returns (50 to 55 dBZ) consisting of level 5 and 6 thunderstorms passed over the accident site between 1659 and 1729. Level 5 and 6 thunderstorms are characterized as "Intense" and "Extreme" by the National Weather Service. A plot depicting the radial wind velocities indicated northerly winds of 36 knots or greater as the thunderstorms passed over the accident site. A witness reported that wind was blowing "extremely hard from the west" and that leaves and debris were "blowing almost horizontally above the road surface."
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: 155 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FES Festus MO at 9:55 pm
- Destination: FES Festus MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,202 ft by 49 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 20 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 900 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 10:25 pm from CPS, 25 miles away
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.
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.