Cessna 150L accident near Wisc Rapids, Wisconsin, June 18, 1989
On June 18, 1989 at about 1:25 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N6878G, was destroyed in an accident near Wisc Rapids, Wisconsin (Alexandria Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT THE FLAPS WERE IN THE UP POSITION DURING TAKEOFF. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 1989 · about 1:25 pm local time
- Place
- Wisc Rapids, Wisconsin · Alexandria Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N6878G · registry record · serial 15072378
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST FLIGHT IN A CESSNA 150 WITHOUT A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED NEAR THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT (ALLOWABLE = 1,600 POUNDS; CALCULATED = 1,594.9 POUNDS). CALCULATED DENSITY ALTITUDE 2,051.8 FEET. A MANEUVER DESCRIBED BY WITNESSES AS A STALL/SPIN WAS OBSERVED AFTER TAKEOFF. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE FLAPS WERE AT 18 DEGREES ACCORDING TO JACKSCREW EXTENSION AND CESSNA SPECIFICATIONS.
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: 227 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 162 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,200 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 27, 1989; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 pm from CWA, 27 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.