Cessna 150 accident near Fernandina Beach, Florida, January 25, 2015
On January 25, 2015 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1973 Cessna 150, registered N10616, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Fernandina Beach, Florida (Fernandina Beach Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s physical impairment due to intense pain, which resulted in his failure to maintain airplane control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 2015 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fernandina Beach, Florida · Fernandina Beach Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 L, built 1973 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N10616 · no longer on the register · serial 15074926
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was returning to his home airport during a personal cross-country flight. The pilot reported that, during the flight, he experienced a pain in his right shoulder, followed by intense pain in his left shoulder. Although he had experienced pain previously in his right shoulder during long car rides, he had never experienced pain in his left shoulder before. Due to the intense pain, the pilot contacted air traffic control, declared an emergency, and requested that an ambulance wait for his arrival. He attempted to line up to the runway for landing but was unable to do so. The airplane impacted a berm and nosed over about 1/2 mile from the airport. The pilot could not recall any other details after that time. The pilot extricated himself from the inverted airplane and was subsequently taken to a hospital. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. During the pilot's postaccident hospital evaluation, no definitive reason for the pain was found. However, considering the pilot's recollection, the intense pain he experienced likely impaired his ability to safely control the airplane and resulted in 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
- Miscellaneous/other during enroute
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › (general) › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,265 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,891.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 22, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAL Lakeland FL
- Destination: FHB Fernandina Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 5,152 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from KNRB, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on August 7, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memorandum of Record - Telephone Interview with Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Fernandina Beach Pd Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Overview of Wreckage Path (Courtesy of the FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum of Record - Recovery Company | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Recent Annual Inspections | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Medical Officer Factual Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Memorandum of Record - Mayport Weather | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Email from Lockheed Martin Fss | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Photo Array (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.