Cessna 150M accident near Zebulon, North Carolina, May 30, 2009
On May 30, 2009 at about 1:11 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N7614U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Zebulon, North Carolina (Field Of Dreams 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2009 · about 1:11 pm local time
- Place
- Zebulon, North Carolina · Field Of Dreams Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N7614U · no longer on the register · serial 15077768
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during landing he “experienced a prodigious bounce” and lost control. During the landing sequence the airplane landed hard, which resulted in the collapse of the main landing gear, damage to the fuselage, propeller, and wing. He reported the wind as calm at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,730 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 3,955 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 12, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,044 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor 0-200 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NC81 Apex NC at 1:00 pm
- Destination: 51NC Zebulon NC
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 28, 2,300 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 12:51 pm from KRDU, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.