Cessna 150L accident near Lajas, Puerto Rico, December 10, 2023
On December 10, 2023 at about 9:50 pm local time, a 1971 Cessna 150L, registered N1707Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Lajas, Puerto Rico (Lajas Airpark airport). 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 failure to maintain adequate clearance from bushes alongside the runway, which resulted in a loss of directional control during the takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 10, 2023 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Lajas, Puerto Rico · Lajas Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L, built 1971 · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N1707Q · registry record · serial 15073007
- 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 during takeoff from the private airstrip, the right wing of the airplane impacted bushes alongside of the narrow turf runway. As a result of the impact, the airplane to yawed to the right. The pilot attempted to pull back on the yoke, but lost control and the airplane impacted the ground and nosed over. 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,312 hours in all; 4,300 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 18,092 as pilot in command; 5,174 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 28, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19,348.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 5, 2023; 91 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: TJPS Ponce PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17/3, 2,866 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from TJPS, 30 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR TJPS 102135Z AUTO 09006KT 10SM FEW027 BKN037 OVC050 28/22 A2991 RMK AO2 PWINO
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 | Pilot's Statement | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA24LA063.