Cessna 150M accident near Lee'S Summit, Missouri, August 2, 1997
On August 2, 1997 at about 9:38 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N66116, was destroyed in an accident near Lee'S Summit, Missouri. 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
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, and his failure to ensure that the airplane remained clear of obstrictions (trees). Factors associated with the accident were: the short runway/takeoff area, and the proximity of trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 1997 · about 9:38 pm local time
- Place
- Lee'S Summit, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N66116 · no longer on the register · serial 15075847
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he performed a 'short/soft field takeoff' with 10-degrees of flaps extended. He said the takeoff roll was normal. He rotated just before the mid-point of the field. The pilot said that the climb was slow, but comfortable. 'At the end of the field, the landing gear struck the top of a tree.' The airplane then pitched down, yawed to the left, and hit the ground. The pilot got out of the airplane 'which burst into flames shortly after.' Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies that would have resulted in an accident. The 1645 central daylight time (cdt) Aviation Route Weather Report (METAR) at Kansas City, Missouri, reported winds variable at 4 knots, temperature 34-degrees Centigrade, and an altimeter setting of 30.06.
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: 140 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 95 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 30, 1996; 200 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,031 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from MKC, 21 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.