Cessna 150C accident near Middleton, Wisconsin, January 20, 1999
On January 20, 1999 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 150C, registered N1956Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Middleton, Wisconsin (Morey airport). 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 conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
inadequate aircraft preflight by the pilot and the ice in the fuel system. A factor associated with the accident was the ravine which the airplane contacted during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 1999 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Middleton, Wisconsin · Morey · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150C · all 150Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1956Z · no longer on the register · serial 15059756
- 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 after takeoff at an altitude of 75 to 100 Feet above the ground a loss of engine power occurred. The airplane was landed in a snow covered field off the end of the runway where it contacted a ravine. An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the airplane and the inspector reported that ice was found in the fuel system, which resulted in the loss off engine power. The line leading to the fuel quick drains contained six inches of ice near the valve. The airplane had been kept outside. The left fuel tank filler cap, which was recessed, was found covered with ice.
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: 119 hours in all; 56 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,603 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 1998; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C29
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from MSN, 10 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.