Cessna 150 accident near Piedmont, Oklahoma, August 7, 1989
On August 7, 1989 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N3893J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Piedmont, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHILE BUZZING, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1989 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Piedmont, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N3893J · no longer on the register · serial 15065193
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENTS, THE PILOT WAS MANEUVERING AT ALTITUDES ESTIMATED AT 100 TO 500 FEET AND BANK ANGLES UP TO 90 DEGREES WHILE MAKING MULTIPLE LOW PASSES OVER HIS SON'S HOUSE. FOLLOWING A DIVE MANEUVER, A ROLLING PULL-UP WAS INITIATED, THEN THE AIRCRAFT STALLED & COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN. IN A STATEMENT MADE TO THE FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR, THE PILOT SAID, 'I GUESS I MADE ONE PASS TOO LOW.'
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HSD Oklahoma City OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:47 pm from PWA, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.