Cessna 150F accident near Johannesburg, Michigan, June 28, 2008
On June 28, 2008 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N7886F, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Johannesburg, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to recognize the onset of carburetor icing resulting in a loss of engine power and the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing. Contributing to the accident were the carburetor icing conditions, and the rough terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2008 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Johannesburg, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7886F · no longer on the register · serial 15063986
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane received substantial damage during a forced landing to a rough field following a loss of engine power during cruise flight. During the landing, the airplane's nose landing gear separated, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that two hours into the cross country flight the engine stumbled and lost power. He stated that he performed emergency procedures which included cycling the carburetor heat control, selecting full rich on the mixture control, checking the fuel selector valve, and cycling the magneto ignition. He stated that the only response to these inputs was erratic firing on one magneto and no response when the other magneto was selected. He stated that he selected a fallow farm field and executed a forced landing. The reported temperature and dew point at the destination airport, about 20 miles north of the accident site, were 21 and 16 degrees Celsius, respectively. According to a carburetor icing probability chart, this temperature and dew point were within the range of susceptibility for moderate icing during cruise power.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 148 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 32 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,665 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2007
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VLL Troy MI at 2:30 pm
- Destination: PLN Pellston MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.57 inHg
- Observation at 12:27 pm from PLN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.