Cessna 150M accident near Crystal Springs, Mississippi, October 1, 2005
On October 1, 2005 at about 1:15 am local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N45339, was destroyed in an accident near Crystal Springs, Mississippi (Copiah County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to retract the flaps during the go-around and his failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A contributing factor was the dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 2005 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Crystal Springs, Mississippi · Copiah County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N45339 · no longer on the register · serial 15076855
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While attempting to perform a go-around maneuver during dark night conditions, the 141-hour private pilot lost control of the airplane and impacted the ground in a near vertical position. An examination of the wreckage revealed the flaps were found in the 40-degree extended position. No other pre-impact anomalies were noted with the engine or airframe. A review of the Cessna 150 Owners Manual revealed that the proper procedure for performing a go-around maneuver was to initially retract the wing flaps to 20 degrees until 65 MPH was established. The remaining flaps were then to be retracted slowly.
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: 141 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,734 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M11 Crystal Springs MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
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.