Cessna 150J accident near Neillsville, Wisconsin, May 17, 1987
On May 17, 1987 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N50499, was destroyed in an accident near Neillsville, Wisconsin (Neillsville Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 17, 1987 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Neillsville, Wisconsin · Neillsville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N50499 · registry record
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A STUDENT & INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WERE ON A DUAL X-COUNTRY FLT FM ELROY TO NEILLSVILLE & RTRN. THE FLT TO NEILLSVILLE WAS UNEVENTFULL. AFTER THE ACFT WAS ON THE GND APRX 20 MIN, HOT STARTING PROCEDURES WERE USED TO START THE ENG FOR THE RTRN FLT. ENG RUNUP & TAKEOFF WERE NORMAL UNTIL THE ACFT WAS APRX 150 FT AGL, THEN THE ENG LOST PWR. THE CFI TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT & ATMTD A RESTART WHILE PUMPING THE THROTTLE. HE TURNED RGT ABOUT 30 DEG FOR AN EMERG LNDG. DRG THE LNDG, THE ACFT HIT THE TOPS OF SMALL TREES, ENCOUNTERED SOFT DIRT & NOSED OVER. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT BEGAN BURNING & WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE.DRG THE INVESTIGATION, NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE LOSS OF POWER. THE PLT BELIEVED THE LOSS OF POWER WAS DUE TO A VAPOR LOCK, BUT THIS WAS NOT VERIFIED. THE PLT RPRTD THE ACFT HAD BEEN SVCD WITH A 50/50 MIXTURE OF 100 OCTANE LOW LEAD FUEL & NO-LEAD AUTO FUEL. LYCOMING SVC INSTRN #1070K DID NOT PERMIT THE USE OF AUTO FUEL DUE TO ITS CORROSIVE EFFECT & BECAUSE OF VAPOR LOCK THAT COULD RESULT FM ITS HI VAPOR PRESSURE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,429 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 6,079 as pilot in command; 4,275 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,064 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, August 25, 1986; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: VIQ Neillsville WI at 11:30 pm
- Destination: 60C Elroy WI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 9, 3,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from AUW
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.
Other NTSB records under N50499 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.