Cessna 150 accident near Griffith, Indiana, May 21, 1998
On May 21, 1998 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N2916J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Griffith, Indiana (Griffith-Merrillville airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 aircraft's speed not maintained by the pilot, which resulted in the aircraft stalling in close proximity to the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1998 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Griffith, Indiana · Griffith-Merrillville · 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
- N2916J · no longer on the register · serial 15065716
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that was taking off on runway 08 with 20-degrees of flaps and when he was approximately 100' above the runway he released the banner hook out the pilot's window. The pilot stated that shortly after he dropped the hook the aircraft began to sink while the aircraft was in a left turn. The pilot stated that, 'the nose came down and the plane would not fly level.' In an oral statement to the Griffith police, the pilot stated that the aircraft was, 'Mushing, and would not fly.' The pilot stated in his written statement that the aircraft hit the ground nose first, flipped over and came to rest in an inverted position. A witness to the accident stated that the pilot did not utilize all of the available runway for the takeoff and was 'Surprised' with how little runway the aircraft used to become airborne. The witness stated that he saw the aircraft pitch-up before the aircraft descended towards the ground. The witness stated that the hook had freely fallen from the aircraft and that there was no evidence of the hook contacting the ground or surrounding terrain. In a post accident investigation of the aircraft, no anomalies were found with the aircraft controls or engine.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,877 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 1997; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,170 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O5C at 5:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 4,013 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from VPZ, 18 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.