Cessna 150 accident near Brighton, Michigan, August 7, 1990
On August 7, 1990 at about 10:40 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N11284, was destroyed in an accident near Brighton, Michigan. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1990 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- Brighton, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N11284 · registry record · serial 15075298
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENT DEPARTED THE AIRPORT FOR AN INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT. THE CFI STATED THAT AS THE AIRPLANE WAS CLIMBING THROUGH ABOUT 400 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND THEN QUIT. HE WAS UNABLE TO REACH A SUITABLE LANDING SITE, AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN AN AREA OF TREES. A POST-ACCIDENT ENGINE RUN-UP WAS PERFORMED. INITIALLY THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH, AND CONTINUAL PUMPING OF THE THROTTLE WAS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN OPERATION. FURTHER TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A CRACK IN THE #3 CYLINDER INTAKE ELBOW, A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF CONTAMINATION IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL, AND A LOOSE DISTRIBUTOR FINGER GEAR IN THE RIGHT MAGNETO. THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE 69 AND 49 DEG RESPECTIVELY.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,305 hours in all; 1,720 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- 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 330° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:45 pm from PTK
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI90LA218.