Cessna 150L accident near Holland, Michigan, August 7, 1990
On August 7, 1990 at about 2:45 am local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N741MF, was destroyed in an accident near Holland, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
UNDETERMINED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS & IMPAIRMENT OF THE PILOT DUE TO CARBON MONOXIDE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1990 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Holland, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N741MF · no longer on the register · serial 15075099
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT & PSGR DEPD ON A LOCAL FLT AT NIGHT IN CLEAR WX CONDS. AFTER ABOUT 15 MIN OF FLT, THE ACFT CRASHED IN LAKE MICHIGAN, ABOUT 1 MI FROM THE SHORELINE. A WITNESS SAID HE SAW THE LIGHTS OF AN ACFT FLYING AT LOW ALT IN THAT AREA, WHICH HAD DISAPPEARED FROM HIS VIEW. ABOUT 2 DAYS LATER, WRECKAGE OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND IN ABOUT 50' OF WATER. THE PSGR WAS STILL STRAPPED IN THE ACFT. THE PLT'S BODY WAS FOUND ON 8/18/90 AFTER IT HAD WASHED ONTO THE SHORE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT BOTH OCCUPANTS HAD DIED FROM DROWNING. TOXICOLOGY CHECKS SHOWED THE PLT'S BLOOD HAD A CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN (CARBON MONOXIDE) SATURATION OF 21%, WHILE THE PSGR'S BLOOD HAD ONLY A 7% SATURATION LEVEL. (SMOKERS CAN BE EXPECTED TO HAVE A SATURATION LEVEL OF 3% TO 10%.) NO MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ELEVATED LEVEL(S) OF CARBON MONOXIDE.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,318 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 17, 1990; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C19 Holland MI at 2:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Observation at 2:50 am from WSO, 28 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.