Cessna 150 accident near Hanson, Massachusetts, July 17, 2022
On July 17, 2022 at about 6:20 pm local time, a 1959 Cessna 150, registered N5859E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Hanson, Massachusetts (Cranland 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 landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and partial loss of directional control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper decision to depart and land with a known mechanical deficiency with the nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2022 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- Hanson, Massachusetts · Cranland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150, built 1959 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N5859E · registry record · serial 17359
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed with a known deficiency with the nose landing gear due to a hard landing he made on a grass runway a few days before. He then flew to another airport to seek help in fixing the nose landing gear but forgot that it was damaged when he landed. The pilot landed hard on all three landing gear and veered left of the runway centerline after the nose wheel separated and the strut collapsed. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed both propeller blades were damaged, and an engine mount was broken.
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 landing
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 389 hours in all; 190 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 199 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 8, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,303 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 27, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 4,000 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MA63 Pembroke MA at 2:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,760 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 am from KPYM, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KPYM 171452Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM FEW028 27/20 A3003
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 October 31, 2022. 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 | Written Statement - Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 2 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.