Cessna 150J accident near Romeo, Michigan, August 31, 1997
On August 31, 1997 at about 12:15 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N60200, was substantially damaged in an accident near Romeo, Michigan. 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 conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper use of carburetor heat, which resulted in carburetor ice and loss of engine power. Factors relating to the accident were: carburetor icing conditions, and the crop (corn) in the emergency landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1997 · about 12:15 pm local time
- Place
- Romeo, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N60200 · no longer on the register · serial 15070141
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that when he was turning final for landing, a complete power loss occurred. Also, he said that trees on the approach prevented him from landing on the runway. Subsequently, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing in a corn field. At the time of the accident, visibility was restricted by fog. About thirty minutes after the accident, at an airport 20 miles to the west-southwest of the accident site, the temperature/dew point spread was one degree (62F/61F). According to an icing 'probability' chart, conditions were conducive for carburetor ice. The pilot said he thought he had used the carburetor heat during the flight, but was unable to recall the position of the carburetor heat at the time the engine suffered the loss of power. An examination of the airplane after the accident failed to reveal any preexisting anomalies.
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: 500 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Shelby Township MI at 12:00 pm
- Destination: D98 MI
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 2.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 am from KPT, 20 miles away
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.