Cessna 150 accident near Jeffersonville, Indiana, January 16, 1993
On January 16, 1993 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N45563, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jeffersonville, Indiana (Clark County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER AIRSPEED. THE POORLY PLANNED APPROACH WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 1993 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Jeffersonville, Indiana · Clark County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N45563 · registry record · serial 15076972
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT TURNED HIS AIRPLANE ONTO FINAL APPROACH AND EXTENDED FULL FLAPS. THE PILOT STATED THAT AS THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDING HE DID NOT APPLY SUFFICIENT FORWARD PRESSURE TO COUNTER THE AFFECT OF ADDITIONAL LIFT AND TAIL DOWNWASH MOMENTARILY GENERATED BY THE FLAP EXTENSION. THE PILOT STATED HE OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY'S EXTENDED CENTERLINE. HE STATED HE EXECUTED A SERIES OF MEDIUM TO STEEP BANKED TURNS TO GET THE AIRPLANE ONTO THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE CENTERLINE. DURING THE MANEUVERING THE AIRPLANE STALLED ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. WHILE RECOVERING FROM THE STALL HE PITCHED THE AIRPLANE DOWN AND THEN APPLIED BACK PRESSURE BECAUSE HE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
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: student
- Flight time: 26 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,848 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 23, 1992; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Haps Arial Enterprises, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; not recorded at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from LOU, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.