Cessna 150H accident near Mountain Home, Texas, October 22, 1989
On October 22, 1989 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N22614, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mountain Home, Texas (Bennack Pvt. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LACK OF AIRSPEED FOR A CLIMB TO CLEAR OBSTACLES OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, RESULTING IN A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING INTO UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. THE INADEQUATE AIRSPEED WAS A RESULT OF AN ENCOUNTER WITH DEER DURING THE TAKE OFF AND THE PILOTS VERTICAL MANEUVER TO AVOID A COLLISION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 1989 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mountain Home, Texas · Bennack Pvt. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N22614 · registry record · serial 15068404
- 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 DEER CROSSED IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT, LATE IN THE TAKEOFF ROLL, AND THE PILOT BALLOONED THE AIRCRAFT TO AVOID A COLLISION. THIS MANEUVER PREVENTED PROPER CLIMB SPEED FROM BEING ATTAINED AND THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS JUST ABLE TO CLEAR A FENCE AND TREE AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE AIRSTRIP. HE ELECTED TO EXECUTE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING INTO UNSUITABLE TERRAIN TO AVOID AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH TREES FURTHER DOWN HIS FLIGHTPATH. DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A CALF AND TREES.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,150 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,867 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 12, 1989; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Mountain Home TX at 8:30 pm
- Destination: NONE Lyford TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 FTW90LA020.