Cessna 150 accident near North Hedrick, Iowa, September 19, 1994
On September 19, 1994 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N9135U, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Hedrick, Iowa. 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
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND THE SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN ON WHICH TO INITIATE A TAKEOFF. A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF OVERALL EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 1994 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- North Hedrick, Iowa
- 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
- N9135U · no longer on the register · serial 15078086
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT SAID HE WAS PRACTICING SLOW FLIGHT WHEN HE NOTICED ENGINE ROUGHNESS AND A PARTIAL POWER LOSS. AFTER LANDING IN A FIELD NEAR HIS GRANDPARENT'S HOME, HE SAID THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS WENT AWAY. THE PILOT SAID HE ATTEMPTED A TAKEOFF FROM THE FIELD BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. HE SAID HE TRIED TO TAKEOFF ON A DIRT ROAD THAT WAS ABOUT 15 TO 20 FEET WIDE. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING STRUCK AN EMBANKMENT, YAWING THE AIRPLANE INTO A DITCH ON THE ROAD'S EDGE. THE EMBANKMENTS WERE ABOUT 10 FEET HIGH, AND 30 TO 35 FEET APART ACCORDING TO THE PILOT. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE'S WING SPAN IS 33 FEET 4 INCHES.
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: 20 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: OTM Ottumwa IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:00 pm
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.