Cessna 150 accident near Atco, New Jersey, September 12, 2015
On September 12, 2015 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna 150, registered N8185F, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Atco, New Jersey. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper decision to intentionally maneuver at low altitude while waving to people on the ground, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 2015 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Atco, New Jersey · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 F, built 1966 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N8185F · no longer on the register · serial 15064285
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was conducting a local flight that consisted of traffic pattern work and landings and then several orbits in the area. After completing the orbits, the student flew near a friend's house, where he executed a left, 360° turn while flying at a low altitude despite being counseled against doing so by his flight instructor and the instructor's son, who was also a pilot. The instructor reported that the student had a habit of "making low passes." The student's friend waved to him, and he waved back, and then the friend and another witness noticed the airplane's bank angle increase while the airspeed was slowing. According to GPS data, while the airplane was flying about 58 mph, which is about the stall speed with the airplane at gross weight with the flaps retracted and a bank angle of about 20°, its nose pitched down, consistent with a stall/mush. Witnesses reported hearing the engine rev-up, hesitate briefly, then respond during the uncontrolled descent, but they reported it was "too late." The airplane impacted a wooded area, and its propeller cut some trees, consistent with the engine developing power at the time of impact. Examination of the airplane revealed that the flaps were retracted, and there was no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction of the flight controls for roll, pitch, or yaw. It is likely that the student, while maneuvering and turning the airplane while waving, which would have increased his workload, was unable to appropriately divide and prioritize his attention and allowed the airplane to exceed its critical angle of attack near its stall speed at too low of an altitude to recover. Although toxicological evidence indicated that the pilot had used three sedating and/or impairing substances (amitriptyline, tetrahydrocannabinol, and diphenhydramine, the last two of which were at very low levels), the investigation could not determine whether they contributed to the accident or affected the student's aeronautical decision-making.
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 in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 130.3 hours in all; 128.3 in this make and model; 5.4 in the last 90 days; 2.2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,206.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2015; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200-A (piston); 2,834 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 19N Berlin NJ at 3:04 pm
- Destination: 19N Berlin NJ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from VAY, 10 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.