Cessna 150 accident near Woodbine, Iowa, May 31, 1997
On May 31, 1997 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N60971, was substantially damaged in an accident near Woodbine, Iowa (Woodbine 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
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation. Factors were the high temperature and high vegetation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 1997 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Woodbine, Iowa · Woodbine · map
- 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
- N60971 · no longer on the register · serial 15070705
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During takeoff, the pilot said the airplane lifted about ten feet in the air '...for a little bit...' before settling down. It lifted off and settled down again, at which time the nose gear separated from the airframe. She stated that the airplane '... kept flying, like it wanted to go...' until the tail began dragging and the airplane pitched down. It then nosed over and came to rest inverted. In her written statement the pilot said that the conditions '...could have been a little better.' She noted that the hot, humid weather, tall grass on the runway, and full fuel tanks contributed to the aircraft '...not wanting to fly.'
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: 110 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 88 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 18, 1996; 46 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: 3Y4 at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 1,100 ft by 95 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°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.