Cessna 150M accident near Cedartown, Georgia, April 14, 2012
On April 14, 2012 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N714JJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Cedartown, Georgia (Polk County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 2012 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cedartown, Georgia · Polk County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N714JJ · no longer on the register · serial 15079209
- 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 the wind at the airport was from 210 degrees at 8 knots, and he elected to depart from runway 28. He aligned the airplane with the runway, and applied power. The tail rose during the takeoff roll, and several hundred feet later the airplane began veering to the left. The pilot attempted to correct with right brake but was unsuccessful. The airplane departed the south side of the runway and came to rest upright with the right main landing gear separated and structural damage to the right wing and right horizontal stabilizer. Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Landing gear collapse during takeoff
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 12,250 as pilot in command; 6,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 11, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,687 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4A4 Cedartown GA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: BWG Bowling Green KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,006 ft by 76 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from PUJ, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.