Cessna 150H accident near Moran, Wyoming, September 1, 2003
On September 1, 2003 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N23108, was substantially damaged in an accident near Moran, Wyoming (Hanson Ranch (Private) 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 visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's selection of an unsuitable takeoff area which resulted in an encounter with the gopher hole during the touch-and-go. Factors contributing to the accident were the gopher hole, the abrupt pull up, the low airspeed, the inadvertent stall mush, the high vegetation, and the embankment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2003 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Moran, Wyoming · Hanson Ranch (Private) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N23108 · registry record · serial 15068730
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he was performing a touch-and-go to a hayfield at his brother's ranch. The pilot said, "After rolling a short distance, I added full power and at the point of takeoff, hit a badger hole which jerked the aircraft." The pilot said he corrected to the left but was close to a low-lying area filled with willow bushes. The pilot said he lost airspeed and had the nose of the airplane up. He said he turned right to keep out of the higher willows. The pilot said the airplane mushed through the willows and struck the opposite bank of the low-lying area, causing substantial damage to both wings and separating the empennage from the aft fuselage. An examination of the airplane revealed no 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: 175 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 120 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 28, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,035.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JAC Jackson WY at 4:00 pm
- Destination: Moran WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 090
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from JAC, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN03LA148.