Cessna 150 accident near Mount Vernon, Alabama, December 8, 2023
On December 8, 2023 at about 4:11 pm local time, a 1964 Cessna 150, registered N5952T, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Mount Vernon, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to operate the airplane at a low altitude over a river, and his failure to maintain clearance from the river while maneuvering.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 2023 · about 4:11 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Vernon, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 D, built 1964 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N5952T · registry record · serial 15060652
- 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 he and a passenger had departed for a local sight-seeing flight and while flying low over a river the left wing impacted the water. The impact “pulled the plane into the river,” which resulted in substantial damage to the forward fuselage, wings, and tail structure. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanic malfunctions or failures 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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 155.5 hours in all; 143.2 in this make and model; 12.2 in the last 90 days; 12.2 in the last 30 days; 101.9 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,347 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2R5 St. Elmo AL at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 am from MOB, 31 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMOB 081656Z 09005KT 10SM FEW035 BKN150 BKN250 18/12 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP202 T01830117
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 25, 2024. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | 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.