Cessna 150J accident near Osceola, Wisconsin, January 15, 1989
On January 15, 1989 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N61306, was substantially damaged in an accident near Osceola, Wisconsin (L.O. Simenstad Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE STUDENT PILOT, INADEQUATE SUPERVISION (TO ASSURE A PROPER PREFLIGHT) BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI), AND WATER CONTAMINATION OF THE FUEL. THE TERRAIN WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 1989 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Osceola, Wisconsin · L.O. Simenstad Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N61306 · no longer on the register · serial 15070952
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
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: 650 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 500 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: OEO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from EAU, 48 miles away
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 N61306 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.