Cessna 150 accident near Palm Bay, Florida, December 19, 2016
On December 19, 2016 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N150EC, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Palm Bay, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Unknown maintenance personnel’s improper routing of electrical wires in the engine compartment, which resulted in chafing and a subsequent in-flight fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 19, 2016 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Palm Bay, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 M · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N150EC · no longer on the register · serial 15078832
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During recovery from a simulated engine failure during an instructional flight, the flight instructor and student pilot smelled and then saw smoke in the cockpit. The instructor took the flight controls, chose a forced landing site, and maneuvered the airplane for landing. Upon touchdown, the nose landing gear settled into low brush and soft terrain where the airplane stopped, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane at the accident site revealed that wires connected to the battery solenoid exhibited thermal damage. When the damaged wires were moved, the navigational gyros energized, the airplane lights illuminated, and the flaps deployed. Detailed examination revealed that the wire that connected the battery solenoid to the starter solenoid exhibited chafing and thermal damage to the insulation along a 3-inch-long section. The wire was placed in its approximate preaccident location, and the burned area corresponded to the round shape of the right rear muffler. A review of maintenance records revealed no entries related to wiring. It is likely that unknown maintenance personnel improperly routed the wires, which led to chafing and the subsequent in-flight fire.
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Electrical pwr sys wiring › Damaged/degraded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 309 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 241 as pilot in command; 81 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 13, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 75 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 10 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,139 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 2016; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLB Melbourne FL at 6:00 pm
- Destination: MLB Melbourne FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from MLB, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 11, 2018. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement (Wreckage Exam) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 4 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.