Cessna 150 accident near Wonder Lake, Illinois, September 14, 1996
On September 14, 1996 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N1381Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wonder Lake, Illinois. It was a personal 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
a blocked exhaust pipe as a result of an inadequate weld repair to the muffler.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 1996 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wonder Lake, Illinois · 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
- N1381Q · no longer on the register · serial 15072681
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during climb out after takeoff the engine sustained a partial loss of power. The pilot executed an emergency landing in a corn field approximately three quarters of a mile from the airport. A weld repair had been performed on the muffler. Another pipe on the muffler was cracked, and brown residue was around the crack. The internal baffling inside the muffler was broken loose, and pieces of the baffling were missing. The exhaust pipe which had been welded was broken loose from the internal baffling. The aircraft's manufacturer does not recommend welding any exhaust system components, and the aircraft's logbook had an entry on 10/20/95 which read 'welded crack in muffler.'
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: 256 hours in all; 229 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 229 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,718 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 21, 1996; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C10 at 5:40 pm
- Destination: C59 Bigfoot WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,400 ft; clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from UGN, 22 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.