Cessna 150 accident near Hamburg, New York, April 20, 2020
On April 20, 2020 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna 150, registered N150LF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hamburg, New York (Hamburg Inc 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 improper decision to land on unsuitable terrain, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2020 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hamburg, New York · Hamburg Inc · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 L, built 1972 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N150LF · no longer on the register · serial 15073579
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after completing the landing roll on a grassy area adjacent to an asphalt runway, the main landing gear dug into an area of soft grass, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on equipment
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 448 hours in all; 261 in this make and model; 46.7 in the last 90 days; 6.4 in the last 30 days; 358 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 23, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,640 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,634 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 700 hours total
- Operator: Kcg Aviation Llc
The flight
- Departed from: SLK Saranac Lake NY at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 4G2 Hamburg NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 2,465 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.71 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from BUF, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 15, 2020. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Phone Conversation (Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos | PDF, 3 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.