Cessna 150 accident near La Crosse, Wisconsin, October 30, 1990
On October 30, 1990 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N7641G, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Crosse, Wisconsin (La Crosse airport). It was a personal 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 VISUAL OUTLOOK BY THE PIC.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 1990 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- La Crosse, Wisconsin · La Crosse
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N7641G · no longer on the register · serial 15074709
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LANDING, AND BEING ASKED BY THE LOCAL CONTROLLER IF HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPORT, AND REPLYING YES, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A LIGHT POLE ADJACENT TO THE TRANSIENT PARKING RAMP. THE PVT PLT SAID THAT BECAUSE OF THE BRIGHT SUNLIGHT AND BROWN COLORED POST, WITHOUT CAUTION MARKINGS, HE FAILED TO SEE THE POST AND AVOID THE COLLISION.
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: 388 hours in all; 319 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 388 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 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: Y12 Lakeville MN at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.